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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25570537">The Last Battle</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tropicalnightsss/pseuds/tropicalnightsss'>tropicalnightsss</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The 100 (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Percy Jackson Fusion, Angst, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Quests, Temporary Amnesia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:27:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>58,641</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25570537</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tropicalnightsss/pseuds/tropicalnightsss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarke Griffin is happy. It's summer and she can't wait to go to Camp Half-Blood. Little does she know when another girl runs into her when she's patrolling the borders, her world will be turned upside down.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anya/Raven Reyes, Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Octavia Blake/Lincoln</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>166</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. "Can we go to the beach? It's sunset."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey Octavia, do you hear that?” I call out as I grip my sword tighter. Octavia and I are patrolling the camp borders.</p><p>“No I don’t hear anything. Are you sure you’re not hallucinating?” She stops talking suddenly.</p><p>“Yeah I hear footsteps from there.” She has a sheepish look on her face.</p><p>I twirl my sword in my hand as we follow the direction of the sounds. And before we can turn around, BAM!</p><p>Someone crashes into me and we fly four feet forward sprawling into the dirt. All the air leaves my lungs as my head and side throb painfully. Someone is lying on me and their weight is somewhat crushing.</p><p>“Clarke!” I hear Octavia shout from somewhere.</p><p>My vision is obscured by wavy brown hair and I push the hair out of my face. When I look up at the person I see the most beautiful eyes ever. So green. She looks at me for a moment before rolling off me and shuffling away from me as if I was the one who pounded her to the ground.</p><p>Octavia comes out of nowhere and stands in between me and the girl with her sword raised. She’s standing up slowly now but I still lie there trying to gather my senses. She’s wearing a faded t-shirt and jeans. Her wild hair and eyes suggest that she’s been on the run for some time now.</p><p>I try to take a breath slowly but there is only a slight throb on my side. I sit up slowly somewhat dazed. I can hear Octavia and the girl talking something but I can’t understand them. As I slowly stand up and move to get my sword, Octavia turns and looks at me.</p><p>“She says some man-bull is chasing her. Must be the Minotaur.” I don’t say anything.</p><p>“She must be a half blood if she can see it.” She says again.</p><p>Meanwhile the girl is looking between us. I look at her and nod.</p><p>“Let’s get her inside the camp before the Minotaur catches up.”</p><p>“What’s your name?” I ask her as we start moving towards the camp.</p><p>“Lexa.”</p><p>“How did you know to come here?”</p><p>She scowls at me and before she could reply we hear a loud roar from our right.</p><p>“Let’s go.” Octavia starts running. Lexa follows her and I bring up the rear.</p><p>“It must have smelt us O! Run!” I shout at her.</p><p>We’re almost into the camp’s border. The Minotaur’s roars are getting closer. Suddenly Lexa stops running and I run into her. I manage to twist my body at the last minute but my side still hits her and both of us fall to the ground yet again.</p><p>“What the actual hell! What did you stop running for?” I ask her as I stumble to my feet.</p><p>My side is burning right now. Lexa is still on the ground. She doesn’t make any signs of getting up. She turns her gaze to me and I see fear and caution.</p><p>“I don’t know. I feel like I shouldn’t be here.” She replies.</p><p>Octavia must have realized that we weren’t following her.</p><p>“What the hell happened? Clarke?” She asks me. But before I can reply the Minotaur roars again. I turn back and look to see that it’s almost caught up with us. I turn back to grab Lexa’s hand to haul her up.</p><p>“I don’t know about your feelings right now but if you don’t move your ass now, we’re dead for sure.” I growl. She blinks at me and gets up.</p><p>“Octavia! What the hell do you think you are doing?” I shout at her. Octavia is running towards the Minotaur with her sword raised.</p><p>“Oh you idiot! Shit Shit Shit!” I grab my sword and turn to Lexa.</p><p>“Run into the camp and get help. Shout. Say we need help now.” I don’t wait for a reply and I’m following Octavia.</p><p>She’s sprinting towards the monster with a loud cry of her own. Just when I thought she was going to get squashed by the monster, she smoothly falls on her knees gliding forward, missing his horn that's charging her and stabs the monster in the thigh.</p><p>It would have been a great move if not for her sword getting stuck in its thigh. She loses her grip and lets go of her sword. The Minotaur roars in pain as it pulls the sword from its thigh and throws it carelessly to the side. It changes direction and charges Octavia. She tries to side step again but the monster’s hand catches her square in the chest.</p><p>She crashes into a tree and lies there not moving. The Minotaur turns and looks at me now.</p><p>I try to summon skeletons from the ground but only one turns up. One swat from the Minotaur and the skeleton flies apart.</p><p>“You distract it. I’ll attack.” A quiet voice replies and I jump.</p><p>“Lexa! I asked you to go get help.” I cry. I did not realize that she hadn't gone to get help.</p><p>She shakes her head but doesn’t reply. She’s slowly moving away from me.</p><p>“You don’t even know how to attack.” I try again but by this time the monster is now charging me. I manage to dodge the charging monster and move away again.</p><p>“Lexa! Go bring help.” I shout. I turn around and look for her but she’s nowhere to be found.</p><p>I run trying to get the Minotaur to follow me but it loses interest when its eye falls on Lexa. She’s in the air. Flying. Face totally unfazed. Like she’s been doing all her life.</p><p>She’s on its neck within a matter of seconds and the Minotaur starts shaking its head trying to get rid of her.</p><p>I move deftly and stab the monster in the side. Its flailing arms hits me on my throbbing side as I’m flown into the air. I land on my back and all the breath leaves my body.</p><p>Again.</p><p>I manage to stand up again to see Lexa standing on dust. And she’s holding the Minotaur horn. Her face is blank and she’s staring at me.</p><p>I run to Octavia. She’s breathing but unconscious. I remove her armor and find that she has multiple broken ribs.</p><p>“Lexa! Come on. Help me move her.” I call to her. She sticks the horn in the back of her pants and helps support Octavia on the other side.</p><p>I glance at her every now and then but I don’t say anything. What can I say? I thought she was new half-blood but she most certainly isn't. I should have realized when I first saw her. She looked way too old to not be self-aware.</p><p>“Just ask me already. I don’t know how I did that. It just came to me naturally.” She snaps at me. That riles me up.</p><p>“Just like the feeling that you got before you got us into this mess?”</p><p>“It wasn’t my fault. Your friend ran head first into danger.” She scowls. I don’t say anything because I know she’s right. Octavia is a fool running head-first into danger without waiting for backup.</p><p>“Where are you from?” I ask her.</p><p>“I don’t know.”</p><p>“How did you get here?”</p><p>“Some lady said I’ll find answers here.” Not a cryptic answer at all. I don’t ask her anything at all after that.</p><p>We enter the valley and see a lot of campers laughing and playing near the volleyball courts.</p><p>“Monty! Jasper! Help.” I shout.</p><p>“Oh shit! What the hell happened? You were on the patrol team no?” Jasper squeaks out while he and Monty take Octavia’s body.</p><p>“I’ll tell you later. We need to get her to the infirmary now. Lexa please come with me.” Lexa looks lost but she follows me.</p><p>She waits outside the infirmary as I bandage up Octavia’s chest nervously fiddling with the Minotaur’s horn.</p><p>“Come on. I’ll take you to Kane. He’s the camps instructor. He’ll know what to do with you.” I say and we start walking.</p><p>“How is she?” Lexa jerks her head towards the infirmary.</p><p>“She’ll be fine.” I reply.</p><p>“And how’s your side?”</p><p>“It’s fine. Not urgent. I need you to meet Kane.” I reply surprised. I didn’t realize that she noticed.</p><p>“We’re here. This is the big house. Kane and the camp director, Dionysus live here. Dionysus is the Greek god of wine and parties. But he left about a month ago. It’s only been Kane ever since.”</p><p>“Greek God? God? Greek?” She repeats it again as if it feels weird.</p><p>“About a month ago, all the gods stopped communicating. They even shut the doors to Olympus, which is basically the Empire State building.”</p><p>“Empire State building? What?”</p><p>“Relax. I’ll go talk to him. He’ll explain everything. He always does a better job explaining.” I smile reassuringly.</p><p>I go inside and Kane is sitting there reading something.</p><p>“So Clarke, what brings you here?” Kane smiles. I recount all the events that happened in the forest.</p><p>“She’s waiting outside. I thought it’ll be best if I bring her to you." I pause and continue. "She looked like she knew what she was doing. I have a feeling she’s already been claimed.”</p><p>Kane merely nods and doesn’t reply to my observations.</p><p>“Send her in. I’ll talk to her.” He says a few seconds later.</p><p>-----------------</p><p>“Lexa, Kane wants to meet you. Go ahead.”</p><p>“Clarke, thanks for saving my life. And this horn belongs to you.” She holds out the horn with a genuine look in her eyes.</p><p>I’m surprised. I thought she was going to keep it with herself. I shake my head.</p><p>“I couldn’t have killed it without you. Keep it. You flying and then landing on the Minotaur's neck was cool.”</p><p>Rationally I knew that the horn belonged to me. I killed the Minotaur. But I have never heard of a Minotaur getting distracted by a demigod on its neck. She deserves it. What I said was true. If she hadn't done what she did, I wouldn't have been able to kill it. </p><p>She smiles slowly and looks away.</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>“Look, please go talk to Kane. I’ve already told him everything about what happened in the woods. It’ll all be okay. I’ll see you after.” Lexa looks extremely confused.</p><p>I feel sorry for her. I knew how confusing it was for me to know that my father was the Greek God of Death.</p><p>Lexa nods and turns. I watch her walk away. I head back to the infirmary.</p><p>With repeated hits all to the same side, I think I might have broken ribs too. Just as I enter the room, I hear shouts.</p><p>“Clarke! What the hell happened?”</p><p>“What happened to Octavia?”</p><p>“Raven, Bellamy relax. I’ll tell you what happened.” I sit down on one of the beds. A healer starts to bandage my ribs as I recount all the events.</p><p>“Oh bloody Ares! I can’t believe she was stupid enough to get into a fight again.”</p><p>“I half expected her to go when she heard the word Minotaur. I was surprised she lasted as long as she did.” I snort.</p><p>“It was all because of Clarke’s smell. Otherwise we would have come to camp without any problems.” A croaky voice says next to me. I glare at Octavia.</p><p>“Octavia! How are you feeling?” Bellamy starts fussing over her she groans in embarrassment.</p><p>Raven and I laugh as we leave the infirmary.</p><p>“What about the Lexa girl? What are the odds of her being the daughter of Zeus?”</p><p>“I’ve never seen another kid of the Big Three. And then suddenly she’s flying in the air. I almost had a heart attack. But she could also just be some wind god’s daughter.”</p><p>“But you don’t think so?” Raven catches on quickly.</p><p>“No. She doesn’t look like the daughter of some minor god. Her aura….”</p><p>“Her aura?” Raven snorts.</p><p>“Stop it you idiot. Something about her tells me she’s not just some other demigod.”</p><p>“Clarkey has a crush!” Raven says in a sing song voice.</p><p>“Oh shut it you big baby. I hardly know her.” I shove her hard when she doesn’t stop singing.</p><p>“It’s just that I’ve never seen a child of the Big Three.” I say seriously after a while.</p><p>Raven doesn’t say anything but just nods all playfulness gone.</p><p>Being a kid of the Big Three was very lonely. Especially one of Hades. I was an outcast right from the beginning. I was 12 then. Raven was the only one who talked to me when I was new. She was a year older than me. She’s the daughter of Hephaestus. Then came Octavia Blake, daughter of Ares.</p><p>I started off as a healer initially when I came to the camp, a bit orthodox for the daughter of Hades to heal but my mom was a doctor. And I've learned over the years that death and life aren't all that far apart. After a while, Octavia started teaching me sword fighting.</p><p>And almost 7 years with them, they’re my family- Raven and Octavia.</p><p>-----------------</p><p>Raven and I are sitting near the strawberry fields watching the satyrs and nymphs dance to the reed pipes. It's almost sunset and the three of us- Raven, Octavia and I hang out here everyday. I hear Fox calling me and Raven.</p><p>“Oh come on! There’s not a moment to relax at all.” I scowl as I get up. Raven laughs but stands up with me.</p><p>“Kane wants to see you, Clarke. He’s waiting by the cabins.” Fox says before running away to the volleyball net.</p><p>“Let’s go Griffin. You saved the newcomer’s life. It’s fair that she becomes your responsibility.” Raven grins. I shove at her shoulder and she shoves back laughing.</p><p>“She’s not my responsibility, you ass.”</p><p>Kane is standing with Lexa near the cabins. Kane drags me away from Raven.</p><p>“You were right.” Kane says. I get a feeling that he’s not telling me something else.</p><p>"Right about what?" I ask hoping he tells me more.</p><p>"About her not being new." Kane replies shortly. Clearly something is on his mind.</p><p>“So, what should I do now?”</p><p>“Take her around camp. Maybe she’ll remember who her parent is.” Kane says and starts making his way towards the Big House. </p><p>I walk back to Raven and Lexa who are talking.</p><p>“I’m Raven Reyes, daughter of Hephaestus.”</p><p>“Lexa.” Lexa introduces herself after a pause.</p><p>“No last name?”</p><p>“I don’t remember.”</p><p>“Where are you from?”</p><p>Lexa looks frustrated.</p><p>“I don’t remember anything. All I know is one day I wake up in a cave with these clothes” she says pointing at her purple T-shirt “and some woman was sitting next to me. She said that I should come to this hill and that I’ll find the answers I’m looking for. I only know my name. And before you ask how I know my name, the woman told me.” She sighs and looks overwhelmed.</p><p>I glare at Raven. I place my hand on Lexa’s shoulder.</p><p>“Look Lexa. It’s fine. We’ll get your memories back. It probably has something to do with magic. We’ll visit the Hecate cabin and if that doesn’t work we’ll visit the Hypnos cabin too. Okay?”</p><p>She looks at me and then slowly nods.</p><p>“Come on. I’ll give you a tour.” I look at Raven and signal her not to come with us.</p><p>"I wasn't planning on coming anyway. I have some work in the forges." Raven replies to me with a wink. But her smile doesn't reach he eyes. As if she has something going on.</p><p>"Okay. See you later." I say as Lexa and I start making our way towards the cabins.</p><p>“It’s okay. You didn’t have to send her away.” Lexa says once we start walking. I did. Raven was irritating her.</p><p>“I didn’t send her away. She had to work in the forges.” Lexa seemingly unconvinced by my lie just shrugs.</p><p>I tell her all about the cabins and the gods while she listens carefully.</p><p>“Lexa about the Minotaur. How did you fly?”</p><p>“I don’t know. It felt like a habit. I thought of wanting to fly and then I was. I don’t really know how to explain.”</p><p>“I get that. If you ask me how I conjure skeletons up from the ground, I couldn’t tell you either. I’ve been doing that since I was 12.”</p><p>“So your dad is Hades?”</p><p>“Yup.” I say popping the p.</p><p>“And your mom?”</p><p>“My mom’s a doctor. She lives in Brooklyn.”</p><p>“Doctor? And your dad is the god of the dead?”</p><p>“I know. But the more you think about it healing and death are not far apart.” I laugh. I've had to answer this question at least a hundred times.  </p><p>We stop in front of Artemis’s cabin. But before I can explain, Lexa says “I thought Diana was a maiden goddess. Why does she have a cabin?”</p><p>I’m so surprised I don’t reply. Lexa then turns at looks at my face.</p><p>“Why? What’s wrong? Did I say something?”</p><p>“You remembered. But you said Diana. That’s the Roman name for Artemis.” Lexa opens and closes her mouth a few times without saying anything. She looks completely stunned too.</p><p>“Lexa! That’s good. It means you knew you were a half blood before this. But for some reason you know the Roman names of Gods.”</p><p>“I just feel like there is some other connection.” Lexa looks like she wants to tear at her hair.</p><p>“Come on. Let’s keep moving. I’m sure we can find someone who can help you.” I say trying to ease Lexa's agitation.</p><p>We reach Hecate’s cabin but we don’t enter. Instead I knock at the door.</p><p>“David! Come on out. I need your help.”</p><p>“What’s up princess?” He smirks at me and I scowl at him.</p><p>“Don’t call me that.” I snap. I don't like when people call me a princess. There's more to me than just blonde hair and blue eyes. “This is Lexa. She needs your help.”</p><p>“Hey Lexa. So you’re the new camper here?” When she nods, he says “You’ll love it. It’ll take a few days to adjust but then it’ll become sweet old home.”</p><p>Word really does travel fast in the camp.</p><p>“So how can I help?” He asks Lexa as he rubs his hands together.</p><p>“Ummm....... I’ve lost my memory. Everything except my name.”</p><p>He looks at her closely and then says “I find no evidence of changes in the mist nor do I sense any magic trails. If it has something to do with magic, there’ll always be a trace. Sorry but I can’t help you out.”</p><p>He looks at Lexa and nods. She nods back and with a “See you around” he goes back into his cabin.</p><p>Lexa looks completely defeated. I grab her arm lightly.</p><p>“We’ll figure it out okay? There’s still Hypnos cabin left.” I say.</p><p>She nods and we start moving yet again. Whenever we cross a cabin I explain who it belongs to but I don’t see any sign of recognition in her eyes.</p><p>“So who do you think my parent is?” Lexa asks me suddenly.</p><p>I stutter completely taken away by surprise. Lexa’s mouth twitches up slightly.</p><p>“I know you have couple of guesses. Just tell me.” She repeats.</p><p>“You were able to fly. So your parent might be some wind god.” I say.</p><p>From Lexa’s face, I know I was unconvincing. She raises an eyebrow and I sigh.</p><p>“It’s the truth. I don’t know. I think that you might have been claimed already. So it’s up to us to figure out who your parent is based on your skills.” She doesn’t say anything else.</p><p>Once we reach the Hypnos cabin, I see Lexa hold her breath in anticipation. I go inside the cabin and I feel sleepy immediately. And drowsy. The entire cabin looks so cozy, I just want to curl up on one of their comfy beds.</p><p>Lexa follows me inside and looks around. I can see the cabin is affecting her as well.</p><p>“Hey Monroe! Wake up! I need to talk to you.”</p><p>“Clarke, nice to see you again. It’s been a while.” She starts to doze off again.</p><p>“Hey! Wake up!” I slap her a couple of times on her cheeks.</p><p>“Lexa here doesn’t remember anything about her past. Help her and I’ll let you get back to sleep.”</p><p>Monroe groans as she stands up and places her hands on either side of Lexa’s head. She removes her hands a few seconds later.</p><p>“Sorry. Your memory isn’t in your head. It’s been taken.”</p><p>“Taken?” Lexa breathes out.</p><p>“Yeah. There’s nothing. Sorry.” She says. She falls into her bed and she’s asleep immediately once her head hits the pillow.</p><p>Lexa and I walk out of the cabin.</p><p>“Look I know it’s disappointing but you’re getting your memories back slowly. All we have to do is to wait.” Lexa doesn’t say anything but looks up into the sky.</p><p>“Come on. I know some place you can relax.” I say but when she doesn’t respond, I grab her arm and drag her.</p><p>As we walk towards the strawberry fields, we pass through the bigger cabins.</p><p>“These cabins are huge. Who do they belong to?” Lexa questions.</p><p>“That’s Poseidon. No one lives there. That’s Hera. It’s an honorary cabin. She’s the goddess of Marriage and Family so she doesn’t have kids. And that’s Hades. I live there. And that one is Zeus.”</p><p>“Jupiter” Lexa says.</p><p>Again she says the Roman name. Something definitely isn’t right. But I don't say anything.</p><p>“Why are these cabins empty?”</p><p>“Almost 250 years ago, the Big Three made a pact saying that they won’t have kids as their kids are very powerful. But they broke the vow multiple times and had kids.”</p><p>“Like you?”</p><p>“Yeah like me.” And maybe you.</p><p>"So you're alone?"</p><p>"I wouldn't say alone. I have Octavia and Raven. But to answer your question, yes I live all alone in my cabin." There's an underlying sadness and Lexa notices it too. She looks as if she understands.</p><p>Lexa stands in front of the cabin for a while. I remain silent.</p><p>“Where will I be staying?” Lexa turns towards me.</p><p>“Once we figure out who your parent is you can move into your cabin. Till then you’ll be staying in the Hermes cabin.”</p><p>“You think I’m daughter of Zeus don’t you?”</p><p>“What? No.” I try to mask my expression but Lexa sees it. Before I can stop her she opens the cabin’s door and steps in. I follow her into the cabin.</p><p>“Look Lexa we aren’t supposed to be here.” I reach for her arm and there’s a shock. An electric shock. She looks at me in surprise. She must have felt it too. I remove my hand and duck my head.</p><p>“We are not supposed to enter cabins which do not have any occupants . Come on.” And without waiting to see whether she’s following me or not, I leave the cabin.</p><p>I’m still feeling the tingling from the shock. It’s like something inside me is vibrating. There’s a fluttering feeling in my lower stomach and it’s completely alien.</p><p>She joins me outside. She stands next to me but watches the beach.</p><p>“Can we go to the beach? It’s sunset.” Lexa asks. I nod.</p><p>We sit on the sand and she watches the waves while I play with the sand.</p><p>“It’s good you know. You’re getting all these feelings. Your memories will come back.” She looks at me with an undecipherable expression. She turns to look at the waves but I keep watching her.</p><p>I can see every freckle on her face and her forest green eyes. Lexa's face might be very impassive and hard to read but her eyes, they are filled with emotion.</p><p>So much, that it's pouring out. She's worried, confused and everything I was when I heard about my father. An ancient civilization that was thriving very much but hidden to the eyes of mortals and half-bloods till they were self aware.</p><p>There's something more than just concern that I feel for her. I'm not able to put my hand on it but I want to stand by her when she figures out her past and her future.</p><p>I cough awkwardly at the thoughts I seem to be having.</p><p><em>'For God's sake you did not know she existed until a couple of hours ago. And you're having thoughts about the future.'  </em>Sane part of myself says.</p><p><em>'Those feelings you're having, you've never felt this way about anyone in such a short time. It must mean something.'</em> The dreamy part of me counters.</p><p>
  <em>'It means nothing. It just means you're lonely and bored. Ask for a quest or something. It'll take your mind of her.' </em>
</p><p><em>'Imagine Clarke and Lexa sitting in the beach K-I-S-S-I-N-G.' </em> This voice sounds too much like Raven.</p><p>I shake my head trying to clear the voices in my head. Lexa turns to look at me with furrowed brows.</p><p><em>'And I really want to kiss that frown away.'  </em>I gasp at this thought audibly. I feel my cheeks getting hot and I know I was blushing. Lexa looks very confused now. </p><p>"Clarke are you okay?" She asks and I have to contain myself from shivering visibly. The way my name rolls of her tongue. <em>Klark. </em>That's how my name sounds.</p><p>"Yeah, no I'm fine. It's just my ribs."</p><p>But before she reply I hear Octavia and Raven calling for me.</p><p>"Don't worry. It'll be fine in the morning." I wave off her unasked question. She just nods. She seems to look all through my lies and sees my bare self. She knows it's not my ribs that's hurting.</p><p>But I don't want to answer her questions. I'm embarrassed at myself for having such thoughts about a person I hardly knew.</p><p>“We’re in the beach.” I shout instead to avoid spending any more time alone with her. A few moments later I see Raven and Octavia.</p><p>“We’ve been looking for you forever. What the hell are you both doing here?” Octavia asks us.</p><p>“I was just showing her around and the sunset was beautiful. So we came here.” I say somewhat awkwardly.</p><p>“The sunset was beautiful?” Raven snorts.</p><p>I shrug and look at Octavia. “How’s your ribs feeling?”</p><p>“Much better.” I merely nod not knowing what to say after.</p><p>Raven must have picked up on tense air between Lexa and me. I always thought she was far too sharp for anyone’s good. But she doesn’t say anything when she catches my eye. </p><p>"Come on Lexa. You wouldn't want to miss your first camp dinner." Raven says instead.</p><p>Raven and I walk in the front while Lexa and Octavia are walk behind us. I hear them talking about sword fighting. Octavia is probably offering to be Lexa’s sparring partner.</p><p>At the very thought, something starts to burn in my chest. It takes me a few seconds to realize that it’s jealously.</p><p>I don’t understand how I went from being friendly with Lexa to having a crush on her.</p><p>For Hades’s sake, I saw her only today. She doesn't have her memory even. I shake my head to force myself not to think about it. Raven doesn't ask me anything. I know that she's itching to ask me what happened but she's probably waiting till we are alone.</p><p>We reach the pavilion and I wave goodbye to the three of them and make way to my table. We have to sit according to our cabin and I sit all alone.</p><p>There was this small part hoping that Lexa would be Zeus’s daughter. Not because I had to eat separately but maybe then there will be someone who can actually understand me. </p><p>I push these thoughts to the corner of my brain as I get up and throw a portion of my foods in the camp fire. I say a silent prayer to Hades and as I’m sitting back down I see Lexa talking to Murphy, a kid from Hermes.</p><p>I try to push all the thoughts I've been having about her away but it's futile.</p><p>I eat my dinner thinking about her gorgeous green eyes, wavy brown hair and her totally and completely kissable lips.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. "Do you think her godly parent is Zeus?"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>'Capture the Flag' is happening and the sides are chosen.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Next morning when I make it to breakfast I don’t see Raven or Octavia. They probably would have gotten up early and went to climb the lava mountain.</p><p>I stuff my mouth with a donut and make my way to the mountain but they weren’t there. I don’t see Lexa around anywhere either. As I walk to the amphitheater, I see Fox.</p><p>“Hey Fox! Have you seen Octavia or Raven?”</p><p>“Clarke, yes. Octavia is sparring with Lexa. They are having a competition. Many people have placed bets.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Yeah. Raven is collecting the bets.” Fox laughs at the look on my face. “I’ll come with you. I’m going there anyway.”</p><p>“Lexa probably doesn’t even fight.”</p><p>Fox snorts. “Oh who you kidding, Clarke! Lexa is kicking ass.”</p><p>She laughs at the look on my face. “We all thought Octavia would win but Lexa is very good. She’s leading 2-0 in a 5 round game.”</p><p>I knew it. I knew Lexa wasn’t just some undetermined demigod. And by the looks of whatever Fox is saying, it looks like she’s amazing at sword fighting.</p><p>We make our way to the arena. There are lot of campers standing around the ring cheering loudly. I vaguely hear Raven shouting for bets.</p><p>Lexa has 2 swords and she’s twirling them while Octavia takes a defensive stance. For Octavia to take such a position, it only meant one thing- Lexa is really good. And before I can bat my eyes, Lexa is on Octavia raining blows with both of her swords in succession. I’ve never seen anybody fight with two swords and woah! It looks bloody hot.</p><p>Lexa is moving like a soldier with precise movements. Octavia doesn’t stand a chance at all. One easy flip of her wrist and Octavia is disarmed. Everyone is so surprised by that move that they all continue to gape at Lexa. No one starts to applaud but it is clear Lexa won. Octavia isn’t going to like this at all.</p><p>I hide back a grin as Octavia and Lexa shake hands. Lexa has a triumphant look on her face and her eyes are twinkling with delight. Octavia on the other hand doesn’t even bother to hide her scowl.</p><p>And then suddenly Lexa’s eyes meet mine. Her smile vanishes and her eyes become guarded. I’m taken aback by the change in her face. What the hell did I do now?</p><p>“Clarkey! There you are sleepy head! You wouldn’t believe what just happened here.” Raven laughs and pulls me closer to Lexa and Octavia.</p><p>“Not one word Clarke.” Octavia warns before I can say anything. I just grin in return.</p><p>“Oh I don’t need to. Lexa just handed you your ass.” I smirk. I look at Lexa and she’s sporting a smirk too. Lexa with a smirk is definitely hot.</p><p>Lexa and Octavia start walking to the armoury while Raven and I follow them. Raven is saying something to me but I’m not listening. Instead I’m looking at Lexa. She’s wearing an orange Camp T-shirt with black jeans. I notice something on her upper arm. I probably wouldn’t have noticed it yesterday because well how do I put it nicely, she was dirty.</p><p>“What’s that on your arm?” I point at her arm and Lexa looks at it.</p><p>“I noticed it yesterday. It looks like some tattoo.”</p><p>“No shit Sherlock.” Raven snorts from behind. No one pays her any attention and we continue to look at it.</p><p>It was an eagle tattoo beneath which SPQR was written in bold letters. Below that there were 8 vertical lines.</p><p>“Do you what this means?” I look up at Lexa and see that she’s already looking at me. She doesn’t reply and continues to look into me.</p><p>A loud clearing of throat startles me and I jump back as if scorched. I know Octavia and Raven are sporting grins behind but I don’t give them the satisfaction of knowing that I know.</p><p>Lexa clears her throat too and says a hoarse no. She’s already turned her back to me and is replacing the swords.</p><p>“Clarke, we have to get going. We have cabin inspections coming up.” Octavia says.</p><p>“Yeah. You guys go. I’ll catch up with you.” I say. Raven makes kissing mouths at me while Octavia laughs silently behind her hand. I flip them both the finger while I turn back to look at Lexa hoping that she didn’t notice what just happened.</p><p>“You need to teach me that move you did with your wrist. That was amazing.” Octavia asks Lexa as Raven nods in agreement.</p><p>Lexa turns around and gives a nod. Octavia and Raven, bickering about something god knows what, leave the room.</p><p>“You should choose a sword. Or two. Find the best one that’s there. We can modify it in the forges afterwards.” I say.</p><p>“Oh! Then I’ll just take the ones I just used. It feels comfortable.” I nod and I watch on as she sheaths both the swords to her hips.</p><p>“You don’t need to have the sword on yourself all the time. You can keep it in your cabin.”</p><p>“What if we are suddenly attacked?” She arches an eyebrow.</p><p>“We’re inside camp borders. Nothing will attack you. Of course if someone summons a monster then you might have to. You know what? Keep it with you at all times.” I hear a snort of laughter.</p><p>We start moving towards the cabins.</p><p>“So I see you met Murphy?” I ask her.</p><p>“Yeah. He’s a pretty weird guy. But nice.” She shakes her head in amusement.</p><p>“Yeah sure he’s nice but he’s a cockroach. Watch out for your things. Never trust a Hermes kid.”</p><p>“Cockroach?”</p><p>“Yup. You’ll know why tonight during Capture the Flag.”</p><p>“I heard people talking about it. What’s it about?”</p><p>“What? No one told you?” When she shakes her head, I continue. “The whole camp is split into two teams. Red and Blue. Each team has flags and they’ll be well hid and protected. The purpose of the game is to capture the opposite team’s flag before they capture yours and take the flag into your side.”</p><p>“Sounds fun.” I hear something else in her voice.</p><p>"What is it?"</p><p>"It's just that this game sounds very familiar." She's frowning again.</p><p>“You know after this show Octavia and you put, the camp is going to be fighting to see who gets Hermes. Because of you.” I try to distract her but she's still thinking about her memory.</p><p>“I got to go. It’s time for cabin inspection and since I’m alone I have to clean up my own mess.”</p><p>“Okay. See you later, Clarke.” And she walks away.</p><p>As I walk back to my cabin I keep thinking about Lexa and her style of fighting. And I’m pretty sure that she recognized the game. Maybe she had another memory.</p><p>Was there another camp for demigods? Kane never mentioned another camp. Half-bloods from all over the country come here to New York in summer. I remind myself to ask Kane about another half-blood camp as I start to clean my room.</p><p><br/>------------------------</p><p>It’s almost 2 in the afternoon when my cabin inspection is done. I get a decent 3 on 5. My cabin is the very last to get inspected so lunch has already started. When I reach the dining tables, I see that there’s a lot of noise. Much louder than usual.</p><p>As I push a portion of pizza into the fire, I look for Raven and Octavia as I sit down at my table. Raven is with her cabin members and from the look on their faces they are having a very heated discussion. Octavia, Bellamy and some other Ares kid are arguing loudly with Hermes’s head counselor.</p><p>I realize that they’re fighting for teams. I wonder what side I’ll be on this time. Since I’m the only one in Hades, I get moved around a lot. Not that I’m not valuable. I’m too invaluable.</p><p>Last time I was with Raven and before that I was with Octavia. Raven and Octavia have only been on the same team very rarely. Hephaestus cabin joins Athena and Apollo. Sometimes Hermes too joins. Very rarely do Athena and Ares fight together.</p><p>The teams approach me and I choose the side I'm on.</p><p>I look for Lexa but she’s nowhere to be found. Instead I see Kane and I walk towards him.</p><p>“Clarke! Had a good lunch?”</p><p>“Yes, Kane it was fine. But I’m here to talk about Lexa.”</p><p>“Is something wrong?” He sits upright and starts to look for her.</p><p>“I never said so. Are you waiting for something to go wrong?” He’s surprised by my question but he avoid it. Instead he asks “Then what is it?”</p><p>“Are there any other camps for half-bloods? Is it possible Lexa comes from one?”</p><p>He jerks so violently that I think something bit him. I swallow a snort of laughter. Kane looks ghastly white as if it was some big secret.</p><p>“Clarke! You are not to speak of this to anyone!” I am taken aback by the sudden change in his tone. But I don’t back down.</p><p>“So you suspect too. But what worries you so much? If they are just another bunch of half-bloods then why do we need to be scared of them?” I ask him.</p><p>“There are certain things you are not supposed to know. And this is one of those things. Digging more about it will be dangerous.” He says to me with a pleading tone. But I don’t.</p><p>“Kane, you and I both know something is wrong. Something bad is about to happen. I can sense it. It’s been over a month since all Gods were called back to Olympus and we haven’t heard from them since. It’s never been like that.”</p><p>He nods accepting the fact that I’m not going to stand down.</p><p>“And now Lexa turns up. Her memory is completely gone. And Monroe thinks her memory has been taken.” I continue.</p><p>“I suspected as much too.” He says.</p><p>“I’ve also noticed that Lexa said the names of Roman Gods. I haven’t heard anyone use it in….like ever. It doesn’t take long to put two and two together.”</p><p>“Nothing ever escapes your attention does it?” He says rhetorically. And then he continues. “You guessed right. I believe Lexa is a Roman demigod. Not Greek. And that there is a Roman camp in our country.”</p><p>“Do you think her godly parent is Zeus?”</p><p>“You mean Jupiter. But no. She hasn’t expressed any powers that would convince me that she’s a child of The Big Three. But I also believe she isn’t someone to overlook easily. No just another demigod would be sent here.”</p><p>“You talk about the Romans as if they are our enemies. Are they?”</p><p>“Clarke sometimes I think you’re far too clever than what’s good for you. I cannot tell you more. If I do I’ll be breaking a 100 year oath.” Kane says.</p><p>“So I’m supposed to just let it go?” I ask. I don’t believe this.</p><p>“Yes for now. But if I’m guessing correctly, it won’t be buried any longer.” He says cryptically. I shake my head and scoff.</p><p>“Look Clarke. You already know everything. If I tell you anymore I’ll be breaking my oath. Please understand Clarke. I believe that you should be getting ready for Capture the Flag, so get going.” He says lightly and starts walking towards the Big House.</p><p>As I walk back towards the tables, I’m immediately ambushed by Bellamy, Octavia and Wells.</p><p>“Clarke we’ve chosen the teams. Hermes and Ares together on the Red team. The rest of the camp led by Athena is the blue team.” Wells says.</p><p>“Wait! Clarke has to decide which side she’s on.” Bellamy and Octavia look at me with puppy eyes. I snort.</p><p>“I’m going to go with Athena guys. Hermes and Ares are the two largest cabins we have.” I say. Wells face brightens while Octavia sports a scowl.</p><p>“Go to hell princess! Actually don’t go to hell. You’ll just enjoy it there with Papa. Go to heaven.” Bellamy spits and both Wells and I burst out laughing.</p><p>“Heaven? That’s a nice curse.” Octavia slaps the back of Bellamy’s head while he wears a sheepish face.</p><p>That wasn't the real reason why I chose Athena's side. I wanted to see Lexa fight. I want to find more about her.</p><p>I usually don’t shadow travel during Capture the Flag. I’ve traveled a couple of times but it left me so exhausted. While other campers didn’t object to me using shadow travel, I never really felt comfortable using it.</p><p>As I get ready for the game, I can’t help but wonder whether I’ll use shadow travel today when I face-off against Lexa. '</p><p><em>'If not when.'</em> I mentally correct myself.</p><p>-------------------</p><p>When the horn blows, we’re ready. Raven set up many booby traps next to our flags. Wick and a couple of other people from Hephaestus are the last line of defense but they have so many tricks up their sleeve I wouldn’t want to be the one to cross these traps.</p><p>I am standing next to Raven hoping that Athena’s cabin knows what it is doing. I’m pacing up and down for quite some time and Raven sighs loudly.</p><p>“Clarke, stop fidgeting. It’s okay if you aren’t at the center of the fight for once.” Raven snaps.</p><p>I glare at her. She sighs again and says “I’m sorry. I don’t know where it came from.”</p><p>I don’t respond to her. I start walking again. I’m simply unable to stand still. I hear a twig crack and I’m suddenly posed to fight.</p><p>“Did you hear that?” I ask Raven. She shakes her head. I sigh but I know I heard something.</p><p>“You guys stay right here. I’ll check it out and come.” Raven nods at me.</p><p>I slowly walk and reach the one end of the lake. Suddenly I hear Raven shouting and screaming orders. I turn back to run to her but before I can move Lexa appears.</p><p>“I hoped you wouldn’t fall for the bait.”</p><p>Lexa’s taken out both her swords and she’s twirling it like she did in the morning. I raise my sword in retaliation. While I might be a good swordsman there was no way I could beat Lexa. And as Lexa charges, a plan starts to form.</p><p>I block both of her hits at the same time and once she’s close enough I kick her in the shin. She grunts at the impact but doesn’t fall. Instead she moves back ready to strike again.</p><p>“Come on Clarke! It doesn’t have to be this way.” Lexa comments.</p><p>“What doesn’t have to be this way? Me kicking your ass?”</p><p>She charges again and this time rains more blows. One catches me in the arm but before I lose control I bring my shoulder into her chest. She falls down, breath leaving her body in a whoosh, not expecting me to do that and I fall on top of her loosing my balance too.</p><p>I get up and try to hit her on the head with my sword but she blocks it so ferociously, both our blades leave our hands.</p><p>One disadvantage though: she has one sword left while I have none.</p><p>I move back trying to reach the sword. But she follows my movement. If I try to reach for the sword she’ll cut me. I vaguely hear Raven’s voice calling me but even if I shadow traveled, I might very well enter a battlefield with no weapon at all.</p><p>“Give up Clarke.” Lexa says again but all I can think about is how my name rolls off her tongue.</p><p>“I’ve fought people with much greater advantages and won.” I reply back.</p><p>“People having more advantages than me have lost to me.” She says.</p><p>When she says it, it doesn’t register. Then I freeze. Right in the middle of the battle. She remembered something. But before I can react, she’s running towards me again.</p><p>She swings and I duck and I turn just in time to catch her feet. She trips and falls down and I’m on her back within seconds. I’m holding both of arms with the sword above her while I sit on top of her.</p><p>That’s when it happens. A bolt of lightning strikes just to my right and I jump. And when I do, my grip on her hand weakens and she merely rolls off from under me.</p><p>When I look at Lexa, I realize that she’s conjured the bolt. I twist into the shadows as I reappear behind her. But she realizes what I’m doing as she directs her next bolt right at me before I can turn away.</p><p>It hits me right in the chest mid-air and I fly into the lake. The last thing I say to the bubbles before losing consciousness is “Jupiter”.</p><p>----------------------</p><p>I open my eyes as I cough out water and splutter. Lexa is standing completely drenched next to me. I notice Raven and a few other campers standing next to me.</p><p>“What happened?” I ask as I gasp for air.</p><p>“You drowned.” Raven replies worry clouding her face.</p><p>“I gathered as much.” Raven snorts.</p><p>“I hoped you wouldn’t lose that humor to brain damage.”</p><p>I look at Lexa. She’s towering over me. I turn back to Raven.</p><p>“What happened to the game?”</p><p>“We won. We were able to defend. Wells was able to get their flag across to ours.” I nod and I take another breath. I gasp at the sudden pain in my chest.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“It’s nothing. Just some pain. I guess getting hit by lightning and then drowning does that to you.” I say lightly but Raven looks worried still.</p><p>“It’s nothing a bit of nectar won’t be able to cure.” Raven nods.</p><p>“Come on. Let’s get you to the infirmary.” She says.</p><p>Meanwhile Lexa hasn’t said a word at all. She’s also refusing to meet my eyes. As I shuffle to my feet, I look at her again.</p><p>“Umm.....I need to go. I’ll visit you later.” And with that she takes off.</p><p>Raven half carries me as we start walking.</p><p>“Why is Lexa acting weird?”</p><p>“She looked pretty freaked when she dragged you out of the lake and you weren’t breathing."</p><p>“Oh” is all I can say.</p><p>“Yeah oh. No shit. When are you going to tell me about the kiss?”</p><p>“What? What kiss?”</p><p>“Stop bullshitting me.” And I sigh.</p><p>"No, I'm serious. We didn't kiss." I just really thought about it.</p><p>Raven is looking at me with a weird expression.</p><p>"Why are you looking at her all weird?" Weird? Am I being obvious.</p><p>"Clarke, You can't have a crush on her. You've known her for what? A day?" </p><p>“I don’t have a crush on her.” I tell her. Raven looks at me with a skeptical expression.</p><p>“Whatever you say, Clarke.” Raven shrugs but she’s smirking. I don’t try again after that but I knew I had to accept it at one point of time.</p><p>I might have a crush on Lexa who I’ve known for less than 2 days and nothing about it bode well for me.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. “Do you think Lexa could be a hunter?”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lexa receives a prophecy and her choice leave people stunned.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I don’t see Lexa at dinner while the rest of the camp celebrates the game. I hear murmurs about Lexa as I pass and I know they’re all thinking the same thing. She’s the daughter of Zeus. But only I knew she wasn’t. And Kane.</p><p>She is the daughter of Jupiter. And Lexa is nowhere to be found.</p><p>I stroll aimlessly through the cabins after saying goodbye to Octavia and Raven. When I’m near my cabin, I remember the beach.</p><p>Maybe she went there. I think as I make my way there.</p><p>And there she is. Standing knee deep in the waves. I only see her silhouette. As I come closer, I call for her.</p><p>She turns to look at me but she turns right back facing the sea. I join her in the waves and the water almost reaches my thighs. I didn’t realise how far inside she was standing.</p><p>We stay there for a while not saying anything.</p><p>“I’m the daughter of Jupiter.” She says quietly. I merely nod.</p><p>“Are you alright?”</p><p>“I’m fine” She shrugs.</p><p>I take one look at her and see that she’s completely lost in thought. And a few moments later,</p><p>“Clarke, if it’s okay, I’d like to be alone for a while.”</p><p>The dismissal stings but I nod anyway and leave the beach.</p><p>As I get ready for bed, I can’t help but wonder if she remembered something else and why it’s affecting her this way.</p><p>--------------------</p><p>I’m hanging out with Raven while she works in the forges. She’s tinkering with something god knows what. I haven’t seen Lexa around anywhere since the beach yesterday.</p><p>“So she didn’t talk to you after that fight?”</p><p>“No. She looked gloomy.”</p><p>“Maybe she didn’t want to be a child of the Big Three.” She shrugs and I snort.</p><p>“On some level, I think she knew what powers she had. I don’t think it is because of that.”</p><p>Raven looks at me shrewdly and narrows her eyes slightly.</p><p>“What do you know about Lexa that others don’t? And I’m not talking about how much of a kisser she is.”</p><p>Have I mentioned how much I hate Raven’s brain at sometimes?</p><p>“For the last time Raven, we didn't kiss." I sigh and continue. "Lexa might be a Roman demigod.” </p><p>“Roman? Like Roman gods?”</p><p>In reply to my nod, “How do you know?”</p><p>“I only suspected. When I was giving her a tour she stopped in front of the Artemis cabin and said Diana.”</p><p>“Diana?”</p><p>“Roman Goddess of Hunt.”</p><p>“Oh!”</p><p>“Do you think Lexa could be a hunter?” Raven asks after a while.</p><p>“What?” That thought never struck me.</p><p>“You didn’t think she could be one huh? It’s possible no? Why she remembered Artemis before her dad?”</p><p>“Yes.” My heart sinks as I think about what it could mean.</p><p>“I don’t know Clarke. Maybe she isn’t. I’ve never seen a single lone hunter. They move in packs.” Raven tries to talk me out of it after she sees my face.</p><p>“Clarke, really. And don’t they use bows? Lexa prefers swords. It could mean something.”</p><p>Before I can reply, there’s a loud sound outside. A shout and a grunt. Then Octavia appears. Looking out of breath and apprehension etched over her face.</p><p>“It’s Lexa.”</p><p>-----------------</p><p>“What happened?” Raven asks as all the three of us rush to the Big House.</p><p>“I think she was going to see Kane or was returning after meeting him. She was ambushed by the Oracle.”</p><p>“The oracle?” Raven shrieks.</p><p>“Yeah. It came out of the attic and gave her a prophecy.”</p><p>“Octavia!” We all turn to see. It’s Bellamy.</p><p>“It’s a meeting with the head counsellors. Sorry.” Bellamy is the head of the Ares cabin.</p><p>“Come on!” She whines.</p><p>“Look you’ll know anyways. They’ll tell you everything.” He says gesturing to Raven and me.</p><p>She looks beyond pissed but she leaves us.</p><p>We enter the conference room and see that Kane is sitting at the head of the table and Lexa is sitting on his left wearing a face devoid of expressions. But her eyes give everything away. They look extremely tense and agitated.</p><p>A couple of other campers join the table and Kane clears his throat.</p><p>“As you’ve probably heard by now, Lexa received a prophecy. We are here to choose her companions for her quest.” Everybody stares at Lexa but she just sits up straighter ready to fight anyone who challenges her.</p><p>But nobody does. She’s a mystery to everyone in camp and she’s also the daughter of Zeus. Jupiter actually. But nobody knows the last part except me, Raven and Kane.</p><p>“What’s the prophecy say?” Raven asks.</p><p>“<em>Heading north to rescue fire, child perishes at parent’s hand. Betrayal and fights ensue, as a bigger threat evolves.” </em>Lexa repeats.</p><p>I get a feeling that she’s not telling the whole thing but I don’t say anything. Instead I lean back in the chair waiting for the talks to start.</p><p>“So some god kills his child? So some demigod on this quest might die?” is the first stupid question. Courtesy Jasper Jordan.</p><p>“It may not be a god. It may be a titan or giant or some other fatherly creature.” Monroe says as she yawns. How helpful. I snort mentally.</p><p>“Who needs our help?” Bellamy asks a few seconds later. I don’t miss the look Kane and Lexa share.</p><p>Didn’t Octavia say that Lexa was ambushed by the Oracle near the big house? And that she could have been returning after talking something to Kane. What would they have talked about?</p><p>“We’ll know won’t we? Plus I don’t think we’ll be helping our enemies. I mean the oracle wouldn’t suggest helping our enemy.” Murphy says casually.</p><p>“There’s also the part about a bigger threat rising. Maybe this quest isn’t a very good idea.” Atom, Aphrodite’s head counsellor suggests.</p><p>“Doing that would be stupid. Not going on this quest will make us ignorant of the threat. I fear that doing nothing is much worse.” Lexa literally growls and Atom shrinks back.</p><p>“I agree with Lexa. There should be a quest. It’s not often we get such mysterious quests.” Raven says.</p><p>“That’s not my reason.” Lexa says bows furrowed. Raven merely smirks at her. Lexa looks extremely unsettled. I’ve seen her confused, irritated and cocky even. But never this way.</p><p>“Going north means you will not have help from the gods.” Bellamy pipes up.</p><p>“We’ll have to make do.” Lexa says calmly.</p><p>“Rescue fire? Who is the prophecy referring to?”</p><p>“It could mean many things. But I think it means Hephaestus.” I say and Raven’s face pales. I notice Lexa and Kane share another look. Something is definitely up.</p><p>And they aren’t saying anything to contradict Bellamy’s statement. They seem to be talking silently. I plan to ask Lexa or Kane later.</p><p>“You need to have Athena on quests like this. I want in.” Wells says. Everyone starts arguing about who should go.</p><p>Kane doesn’t say anything except raising his hand. When all of us settle down, he asks Lexa.</p><p>“It’s your quest, Lexa. Choose.” He says simply.</p><p>“I’d like Raven and Octavia.”</p><p>--------------------</p><p>“What do you mean you can’t do anything? They’re my team. You can’t just send them away without me.” I cry.</p><p>Kane shrugs at me helplessly. “Sorry Clarke. It’s Lexa’s choice and their choice. And looks like they’ve chosen to accompany Lexa.”</p><p>I don’t reply and storm out. In the fury I’m in right now I forget to ask about the looks Kane and Lexa shared.</p><p>I find Raven, Octavia and Lexa standing nearby talking. They must be talking about their brand new quest. Octavia sees me approaching and murmurs something to the other two.</p><p>“You’re saying yes?” I ask them both incredulously.</p><p>“Yes. Of course we’re saying yes. We’ve wanted a real quest for almost 7 years. You know it.” Octavia says.</p><p>“We said we’ll go on a quest when all the three of us get it. Not you both.”</p><p>“Wouldn’t you have ditched us if you were called?” At my silence, Octavia continues. “You would have. I know it.”</p><p>I take a step forward and stare right into her eyes and say “No you idiot. If I was leaving you alone behind, I’ll find some way to makes sure you come too.”</p><p>“Clarke, you know 4 people on a quest in bad luck. One might not return.” Raven says in a pleading voice.</p><p>“Oh! That’s just bullshit to make you feel better. You know what? I’d rather have you say that it doesn’t matter and that you’re not leaving me behind.” I snap back.</p><p>“Clarke, I don’t believe in such sayings. But if I wanted you to come along, I would have asked for you.” Lexa says calmly.</p><p>I take couple steps back feeling like I’ve been sucker punched. I look in between all of them. Raven looks torn. Octavia is looking elsewhere but I can see the tension in the way she stands.</p><p>And Lexa looks so cold. Her green eyes are ruthless as they stare into mine.</p><p>I don’t look at them again as I walk past them to my cabin to break anything, to feel something other than hurt and anger.</p><p>-------------------</p><p> <em>I</em><em>f I wanted you to come along, I would have asked for you.</em> These words keep bouncing around my head as I fight in the arena with another camper.</p><p>But he suddenly steps back and at my raised eyebrows he points to someone behind me.</p><p>It’s Octavia and Raven. Raven has her tool kit that she got as a birthday gift from Hephaestus 2 years ago, around her hip while Octavia sports her sword on her hip in its sheath. I ask him to continue again and he unwillingly does.</p><p>Lexa didn’t want me. One strike. Raven and Octavia didn’t fight for me. Another one. They’re ready to leave for the quest. A thrust. Without me. A parry.</p><p>They’re here to say goodbye. Another parry. I can’t let them go thinking I’m still angry. One hit and my partner is weapon less.</p><p>I’ve never been this angry before. Helpless and completely infuriated. And from the look on my sparring partner’s face and the campers around the arena, neither have they.</p><p>I avoid their looks as I holster my sword and wave at my partner saying goodbye. He waves back too clearly at a loss. Octavia and Raven are waiting for me.</p><p>“When are you leaving?”</p><p>“Now.” They say and we all start walking.</p><p>“How are you travelling? And where are you going to start?”</p><p>“Kane wants us to contact the Hunters and the Amazons. They might know something. We’re going to look for them.” Octavia says.</p><p>“We have their last known location. It’s somewhere near Toronto.” Raven says.</p><p>“So you’re flying there?” Both of them nod.</p><p>I’ve never traveled by air before. It’s Zeus’s territory and I didn’t want to give him a reason to blast me into tiny pieces.</p><p>“Rae, if you do need to rescue your dad, the prophecy could refer to you.” I say uneasily. Octavia looks at Raven with concern but doesn’t say anything.</p><p>Raven nods but she looks troubled as if she had had the same thought. So neither Kane nor Lexa told anything about Hephaestus to them. Maybe I’m just being paranoid at being ditched by my 2 best friends.</p><p>We reach the border and I see Lexa standing there already talking to Kane. Both her swords are sheathed at her hip. Argus is waiting there too. He’s probably going to drop them at the airport.</p><p>Kane looks surprised to see me here. But he doesn’t say anything to me. He wishes the three best of luck and he leaves.</p><p>Octavia hugs me ferociously and I hug her back. I hug Raven next. I look at Lexa wondering what the proper way to send someone off on a deadly quest who has been hot and cold to you. Also not to mention the crush you have on her.</p><p>I end up shaking hands. Her grip is firm in mine. I meet her eyes and they’re so different from what I saw a couple of hours ago.</p><p>“Good luck Lexa.” I say as I remove her hand from mine.</p><p>“May we meet again.” She says and I’m taken by surprise. She smiles at me after the look on my face.</p><p>“Kane was just telling me about the salutations you people use before going on a quest.” She says smiling softly.</p><p>I wish I could grab her by the neck and pull her in for a kiss. But I remember what she said to me. And that sobers me up pretty well.</p><p>They start moving towards the camp's entrance. I look at them till they’re swallowed by the slope of the hills.</p><p>“May we meet again.” I whisper to the setting sun.</p><p>--------------</p><p>Bellamy and I are taking a stroll near the woods after dinner. He’s been quiet the entire day after Octavia and Co left. He didn’t even flirt back to the nymphs.</p><p>He understands what I’m going through and we don’t talk. He’s simply present just like I am for him.</p><p>“Octavia has always been my responsibility. Right from the very beginning. Ares just up and left after giving my mom babies. I know that’s what gods do but sometimes I wished he stayed.” I take his hand and intertwine our fingers together. He never talks about his mom.</p><p>“It’s rare to have 2 demigods with the same parent in one house. My mom wasn’t satisfied with the time she had with Ares before she gave birth to me. She constantly kept looking for him everywhere. And then 4 years later, she had Octavia. When he left the second time, my mom went bat-shit crazy.” He scoffs and holds on to my hand even tighter. “She started drinking. Hitting me and Octavia. One day I just had enough. She tried choking Octavia. She was 5 then.”</p><p>His face is filled with unshed tears and burdens he’s carried alone these 20 years.</p><p>“We moved around a lot of foster homes. Where she went, I went. I didn’t let her out of my sight. But we were never safe. Back then we didn’t know why but bad things kept happening to us.” He turns around and sniffs and I do him a favor and pretend not to notice.</p><p>“Then 3 years later, Kane found us.” I’m surprised. It’s usually satyrs who find demigods and bring them to camp. Kane brought them to camp? “Now I know how weird it is but yeah Kane found us and brought us here.” He chuckles.</p><p>“You’ve never talked about it before.” He nods.</p><p>“I had to watch Octavia leave camp on a quest that sounds dangerous. Don’t you think I tried to stop her?” Knowing the Blake siblings, they probably would have had a huge fight when I was off sulking. He chuckles lightly again. Bellamy would have tried to leave camp but Kane would have stopped him.</p><p>“I know what you’re going to say Clarke.” He says just as I open my mouth. “I know she’s a great warrior and I know she can defend herself but I still worry.”</p><p>I nod. I’m worried about them too. “I’ve never been without them in camp. Hell we even meet regularly outside camp. It feels like something’s missing when they’re not here.” I say somberly.</p><p>It’s all so serious so I decide to break it.</p><p>“Talking about Raven. When are you going to say you’re worried about her too?” I smirk lightly.</p><p>“Of course I’m worried about her too.” Bellamy says but I can see that he’s trying to hide a blush.</p><p>“Oh Bell! Out with it! When are you going to tell her?”</p><p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He says but he does know. He’s blushing and he’s running his fingers through his unruly hair, smoothening it.</p><p>“Yeah right. If that’s true, then Zeus and Poseidon are best buddies.” He snorts at that but denies his crush on Raven vehemently.</p><p>“It’s getting late. We should go back now.” Bellamy says trying to regain a bit of normalcy.</p><p>We reach Ares cabin first. “You know Bell? She knows. Tell her. I’m sure she feels the same.” I tell him. I’ve seen so many not so surreptitiously exchanged glances between him and Raven. But I never interfered. I thought I’ll let them figure it out on their own but it’s already been a year of pining.</p><p>He pretends not to understand but I know he’s grateful.</p><p>“Bye Clarke.” I stand up on my toes and mess up his hair playfully. I know I don’t say it enough but he’s family too.</p><p>He hugs me and I give a kiss on his cheek before I make my way to my cabin.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. “I am Lexa Woods. Tell your Queen her sister is here.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A small family reunion and some shocking news.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The security don’t bat a lid as Octavia, Raven and I walk through the airport. We are still wearing our swords on our hips but nobody seems to notice it. I touch my neck absentmindedly. I’m missing something.</p><p>It’s satisfying to know that my memory is coming back even though the process is very slow. I know my father, Jupiter and the other Roman Gods. And Costia.</p><p>I remembered her when I pulled Clarke out of the lake. Starring at her unconscious form, I had flashes of a girl with black hair and kind eyes which stared into the void, unmoving.</p><p>I remember. And here I was having thoughts about kissing Clarke.</p><p>I knew I was attracted to Clarke. Maybe because her face was the first I saw after my memory was wiped. Or simply because 2 days was more than enough to know that there was some connection between the two of us.</p><p>In that beach, she looked so cute with a blush on her face. All I wanted to do was kiss her senselessly. </p><p>And then I remembered Costia. The guilt came crashing out of nowhere along with relief when I saw Clarke moving after I almost killed her. I felt guilty again because I was relieved that Clarke didn't die.</p><p>She’s my friend. Of course I was relieved that she didn’t die.</p><p>I vaguely remember saying that to myself when I was standing in the sea later in the day. I had to be alone. Being around Clarke was way too confusing. I had new emotions to sort through other than my old ones whenever I was with her.</p><p>The pain of losing Costia was very much fresh. I could feel it. But I knew it would hurt more or less the same if something happened to Clarke too.</p><p>I just remember my feelings for Costia. I do not remember how I lost her. If I ever find that person who stole my memory, I'd kick their ass into oblivion. There's a big hole in the center of my heart- not knowing what happened to her makes me feel incomplete. </p><p>Then the bony and dusty creature, which the Greeks call the Oracle cornered me on my way out of the Big House and gave the prophecy. What I told the Greeks in the conference room wasn’t the whole truth. There was more but I omitted it. I wasn’t ready to get into it myself.</p><p>Immediately after I heard the prophecy, my first thought, very much to my chagrin was Clarke. The quest was dangerous and I decided to keep Clarke out of harm’s way.</p><p>I know that I would have liked Clarke to come along on this quest. But I needed Raven very much. I never did tell Raven why I wanted her along on this quest. She’s tried asking me multiple times but I shut her down.</p><p>I’m grateful that both Raven and Octavia trust me enough to come on this quest. But I don’t tell them. Hopefully they know.</p><p>I rest my head against the window just as the plane takes off and feel at home in the air just like I feel with Clarke and close my eyes.</p><p>----------------</p><p>
  <strong> <em>3 days ago-</em> </strong>
</p><p>I wake up in a cave in a tattered t-shirt and jeans. There is a woman sitting opposite me. She is wearing a simple yet elegant gown and she makes sitting down on a dirty cave floor look regal. She has sparkling, blue eyes and wavy blonde hair. She also has a single mole above her lip.</p><p>“Hi there!” She says softly.</p><p>“Where am I? Who are you?” Who the hell is this woman? And why does she have such a knowing look in her eyes.</p><p>“The more pertinent question you should be asking is who you are.” She says instead.</p><p>She’s right. Who the hell am I?</p><p>“Your name is Lexa and your life is in danger.” She answers for me. She says it like she’s reciting an order for burgers and shakes that I just placed.</p><p>“You’ll find more answers on that hill.” She points at a hill. I keep looking at her. What the hell is she playing at?</p><p>Then I hear a loud roar. I jump and I look at her in confusion.</p><p>“He must have smelt you. Now get going. Remember. Get to that hill. You’ll find answers there.” With that she quite forcefully pushes me out of the cave.</p><p>When I look at her she merely smiles and waves.</p><p>The roars are getting closer so I take off. The hill looked closer from the cave. But I’m able to run fast. My legs move effortlessly and I think I probably was an athlete.</p><p>I look back to see a creature- half man and half bull, with a single horn on top of its head. I run even faster. Seeing a creature like this might freak any person out but strangely enough I don’t. Out of habit, I touch my neck. I feel like something is missing but I’m unable to place it.</p><p>I’m almost near the hill when I crash into a person who suddenly comes into view and we fly 4 feet into the air. I realize that I’m actually laying on top on of the person. I lift up my head to look at the person and I’m shocked to see it’s the woman from the cave. Only younger.</p><p>She’s wearing an orange t-shirt with jeans and wears something metal on top of her t-shirt. It looks like armor.</p><p>I freeze and I scramble away from her. But when I meet her eyes, there is no recognition. I only see confusion and pain.</p><p>Then another girl moves in front of her with her sword raised ready to attack me.</p><p>“Who are you?” She asks me.</p><p>I tell her the only thing I know about myself except of course that maybe I’m an athlete.</p><p>“Why are you running”? She asks me next.</p><p>“Something is chasing me. Half bull. Half man.” I say.</p><p>She turns back to the cave-woman and says something. She calls her Clarke.</p><p>She gets up. “Let’s get her to the camp before the Minotaur catches up.”</p><p>As we move to the camp or whatever they said, the cave woman asks me my name.</p><p>“Lexa” I say but internally I’m shouting. Didn’t you tell me my name?</p><p>“How did you come here?” She asks.</p><p>I scowl at her. Didn’t she say that I should come here?</p><p>But before I can reply, there’s another roar.</p><p>“Let’s go!” The girl with the brown hair shouts.</p><p>“It must have smelt us O! Run!” The cave-woman shouts. Again with the smell. Who does she think she is?</p><p>But then I stop abruptly. Something prevented me from going any further. It was like I was entering enemy’s territory. But the cave woman-Clarke runs into me and we fall to the ground again.</p><p>While she’s busy shouting at me, she doesn’t see the brunette run into battle.</p><p>Once she notices, she looks at me and asks me to find help. And without waiting for a reply, she runs to help her partner.</p><p>I stand there following the fight. The brunette smashes into the trees with one flip of the Minotaur’s wrist and she doesn’t move again. And then I look on as Clarke summons a skeleton from the ground. The day couldn’t get any weirder.</p><p>But what drives me crazy is when I step forward and stand next to Clarke. There is something very familiar and peaceful when I say “You distract it. I’ll attack.”</p><p>And then I summon the winds and take control of it. I fly up smoothly into the air and land on the Minotaur’s neck like I’ve been doing all my life.</p><p>Which I might have been doing. I don’t know.</p><p>And then Clarke comes out of nowhere and stabs the monster in the side while I hold on for my dear life. The monster’s arm catches Clarke yet again in the side and she falls on her back with a visible whoosh.</p><p>I feel the monster disintegrating on my legs and I jump off it’s head and land smoothly on the ground. Everything seems so familiar about this but I still remember nothing. I notice the horn among the pile of dust. I pick it up.</p><p>I see Clarke looking at me with surprise. But it hardly lasts a second as she’s running to Octavia.</p><p>“Lexa! Come on. Help me move her.” She says. I stuff the horn to the back of my pants and help her carry Octavia.</p><p>As we walk, I feel her eyes on me. I snap and say “Just ask me already. I don’t know how I did that. It just came to me naturally.”</p><p>“Just like the feeling that you got before you got us into this mess?” That feeling is still there. Like these people who just saved my life are enemies.</p><p>“It wasn’t my fault. Your friend ran head first into danger.” I scowl. I know she agrees with me since she lets out an annoyed huff.</p><p>“Where are you from?” She asks me.</p><p>“I don’t know.”</p><p>“How did you get here?”</p><p>“Some lady said I’ll find answers here.” More specifically a lady looking just like you. But I don’t say it.</p><p>I follow her around as she finds campers to carry Octavia. She goes into the infirmary maybe treating herself and her friend.</p><p>I remove the horn and I start fiddling with it wondering how exactly I ended up here. Less than an hour ago, I was sleeping. And now I’m in someplace I’m not supposed to be in.</p><p>When she comes out I can see that she’s still wearing her armor. She must have treated her friend first.</p><p>"How is she?" I ask her.</p><p>"She'll be fine." Clarke replies with a small smile.</p><p>“How’s your side?”</p><p>She looks surprised. “It’s fine. Not urgent. I need you to meet Kane.” She replies.</p><p>Her blue eyes glisten in the sunlight as she’s talking about Greek gods, some camp director. But I don’t follow the conversation.</p><p>She’s hurt but she’s still taking care of me. Despite how much of a grouch I was to her. There’s a warm feeling in my chest that I’m not able to put in words.</p><p>She asks me to wait outside and goes to talk to this Kane person.</p><p>She comes back a few moments later wearing a reassuring smile. But I also notice a knowing look in her face. Just like the cave woman had.</p><p>“Lexa, Kane wants to meet you. Go ahead.”</p><p>“Clarke, thanks for saving my life. And this horn belongs to you.” I hold out the horn and she’s taken aback. Again. She shakes her head.</p><p>“I couldn’t have killed it without you. Keep it. You flying and landing on the Minotaur's neck was cool.” Really she looks like an angel now.</p><p>“Thanks.” I blush and look away. I hope she doesn’t catch me blushing.</p><p>Get it together. Your memory is completely wiped. She mistakes my hesitation as confusion.</p><p>“Look please go talk to Kane. I’ve already told him everything about what happened in the woods. It’ll all be okay. I’ll see you after.” Immediately my mood sours. She’s leaving?</p><p>Useless lesbian. I hear a very familiar voice say. I can’t place the voice.</p><p>I walk into the Big House and see a man with graying black hair and kind eyes sit behind a table. But as soon as he sees me, his face pales and he immediately stands up. He tries to rein in his actions by stretching out his hand.</p><p>So my intuition was correct. I wasn’t supposed to be here.</p><p>“So Lexa, Clarke told me all about your skills in the woods.” He starts. I merely shrug.</p><p>“So you don’t remember who you are?”</p><p>“No. I woke up to some woman saying that my name is Lexa and that I had to come here.” I say again.</p><p>“<em><b>So the fact that you somehow realize how to fight means that you’ve already been trained? So you also know about the gods.” </b></em>There’s a change in his voice but I answer anyways.</p><p>“<em><b>Yes. They kept shifting as the center of the civilization moves. It was Europe then. Now they’re above us.</b></em>” I say as if it’s common knowledge. Except it’s not. Then I realize that I spoke in a different language.</p><p>“You have Latin built in your brain. Like Ancient Greek for us.” He says lightly as if he expected me to do that.</p><p>“So you know about me?”</p><p>“I suspect but I cannot tell you. I’ll be breaking a 100 year oath.”</p><p>I’m stumped. No answers. I next time I see the cave woman….I’m furious at her and at myself for not remembering.</p><p>“Come on. Clarke will give you a tour and show you to your bunk.” He says and we walk out of the big house.</p><p>“<strong><em>You’re not here to harm us?</em></strong>” He shifts to Latin again and I’m surprised at my ability to keep up.</p><p>“<strong><em>I don’t know. All I know is that you guys have saved my life.</em></strong>” I say and he smiles. But I still see doubt and confusion in his face despite my confession.</p><p>------------------</p><p>I wake as someone shakes my shoulder.</p><p>“We’re landing.” Octavia says.</p><p>“Thanks.” My voice sounds rough. I gulp some water.</p><p>“Bad dream?” Octavia asks. She’s sitting in between me and Raven with me taking the window and Raven sitting in the aisle.</p><p>I shake my head but she looks concerned.</p><p>“You kept muttering something about mountain. And kept calling for some Anya.” She replies.</p><p>“They sound familiar but I can’t remember who it is.” But actually you can. You remember dirty blond hair and her voice. And then it strikes you.</p><p>“Useless lesbian.” It was Anya’s voice.</p><p>“What?” Octavia snorts from beside me. Shit. I must have spoken out loud.</p><p>“Ummm…nothing.” I duck and turn away my head so that Octavia doesn’t catch my blush.</p><p>I wish Clarke is with me now. Her presence relaxes me and calms me down.</p><p>Octavia somehow understands me. “I miss Clarke. She’s the level headed one. I wish she could come with us.”</p><p>“That’s not what you said to her.” I’m confused. Didn’t Octavia quite literally say that she’s glad she’s on the quest and that Clarke isn’t?</p><p>“No its not. I’ve known her for 7 years. I know her. If you had chosen her and Raven, she would have brought me along too. She would have fought for me.” Octavia sounds guilty.</p><p>“Then why didn’t you? Ask me to include Clarke too?”</p><p>“Because I believe that when 4 people go for quests, one doesn’t return. And rescuing fire and a child’s death sounds very bad for Raven. I just wanted to give her the best chance I could. I mean it might not even be Hephaestus but just in case it was. ” She shrugs</p><p>“That’s weirdly thoughtful.” Who would have thought the hot headed Blake girl cared so much and expressed it in such a different way.</p><p>“I know. People like you take one look at me and decide that I’m not compassionate just because my father is Ares.” She’s right. I did just that.</p><p>“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to judge. It’s just that I’m trying to figure everything out.”</p><p>“I’m sorry too. I can’t believe how it would be to forget Bell or Raven or Clarke.”</p><p>“Let’s go.” Raven says once the plane lands. She looks apprehensive. Maybe she knows about Hephaestus’s predicament. But how could she? I never told her. I only told Kane and he asked me to keep it to myself. But that was before I received a prophecy.</p><p>I know I had to tell them before we meet the Amazons.</p><p>“So how will we find where the Amazons are in such a huge city?” Octavia asks me. But it’s Raven who replies.</p><p>“Simple. We look for the Amazon headquarters.” Raven replies shrewdly.</p><p>“Like the company Amazon? Delivering goods?” Octavia blinks in confusion.</p><p>“Yes. They’ll be there.” Raven says confidently. Octavia looks at me and at my nod shrugs and mutters something under her breath. As we start walking, I decide that I should tell them about the quest now.</p><p>“Look guys I need to tell you about something important.” I start hesitantly.</p><p>“So you’re finally telling us about the prophecy?” Raven interrupts me.</p><p>“What?” I almost shriek. How does she know I omitted certain parts from the prophecy?</p><p>“It was kind of obvious. I’m sure Clarke knew too.” Raven has a look on her face that I simply can’t place. Clarke knows too? This is bizarre.</p><p>“No. No it’s not about that.” Now that she knows I make no effort to pretend otherwise. But Octavia doesn’t let it go.</p><p>“What do you mean? The prophecy you told us was a lie?” Great. Jumping to conclusions.</p><p>“Of course not. Why would I do that? I told you all the relevant parts. This is something I need to figure out on my own. If I ever think that it might be relevant to the quest, I’ll tell you.” I snap back. That shuts Octavia right up.</p><p>“Then what did you want to say?”</p><p>“Before the oracle gave me the prophecy, I was talking to Kane about a vision I had.” I start but I’m still hesitant after seeing their faces.</p><p>“What vision? Something from your past?”</p><p>“That’s what I thought too. That maybe I had gone on a quest before. But no. It’s new. It’s happening now.”</p><p>“What’s happening now?” Raven asks brows furrowed.</p><p>“Someone has kidnapped Vulcan. Hephaestus.”</p><p>Raven’s face pales. I notice it.</p><p>“So you suspected. How?” Octavia looks between the two of us following our conversation.</p><p>“I noticed it since a couple of days before camp. All our inventions were failing. Something was essentially wrong and we were trying to find what went wrong. And then I heard the prophecy. I knew something was wrong with my dad.” Raven says seriously.</p><p>“If you hadn’t chosen one member from Hephaestus, we surely would have followed you anyways.” Octavia snorts. It surely sounded like something Raven might do if I didn’t take her along.</p><p>That’s why she looked so torn when Clarke was demanding an explanation from her friends as to why they were ditching her.</p><p>“You could have just told her.” I say referring to Clarke.</p><p>“If I did, there was no way in hell she’d let me go without her.” And Octavia nods in support.</p><p>These three friends have a relationship so deep that everything they do is to protect one another. Octavia protecting Raven. Raven protecting Clarke. Clarke coming to see us off despite how pissed off she was.</p><p>Before I tell them about my vision, Octavia freezes. She points to a huge glass building. The sign reads ‘AMAZON’.</p><p>Then suddenly I get flashes of another memory. A girl with curly, bushy brown hair fighting with me.</p><p>“I have to go Lexa. You’ve got it under control. This is your legacy. Mine stills awaits.” She shouts.</p><p>“You’re just abandoning me again to go join them. Just like you did when we were kids, Luna. When I needed you. You just up and left.”</p><p>Luna Woods, the Queen of the Amazons.</p><p>We enter the building. I see 2 female warriors in full armor raise their swords when they see us.</p><p>I raise my hands and motion Raven and Octavia to follow my actions. They both do. Octavia does with a little bit of hesitation.</p><p>“I am Lexa Woods. Tell your queen her sister is here.”</p><p>----------------</p><p>I avoid Raven’s and Octavia’s incredulous eyes as the guards escort us to the throne room.</p><p>Just as I enter the throne room, I see a girl with bushy hair sitting on the throne. She sees me and jumps out of the throne to hug me.</p><p>The forceful hug takes me by surprise but I hug her back nevertheless. The smell of sea and salt feels familiar and I breathe her scent in gratefully. It reminds me of childhood.</p><p>She pulls back and keeps me at an arms distance and looks at me still holding on to my shoulders. She frowns as she looks at my orange colour T-shirt and then looks at my companions.</p><p>“What are you doing with the Greeks?” She hisses at me.</p><p>“They’re my friends. We’re on a quest and we need your help.” I don’t know where the sudden anger comes from but its rolling off me in waves. She left me as a child and then left me again to join the Hunters.</p><p>Luna must sense my anger because she’s moving back now.</p><p>“It’s almost night. Please stay here for the night. We will provide you with food and sleep.” She addresses Raven and Octavia and they nod back gratefully.</p><p>“Lexa, please walk with me.” Luna says and she leaves the room.</p><p>“It’s okay. We can trust them and yes I’ll tell you about my sister later.” I add at Octavia’s and Raven’s attempt to interrupt me.</p><p>I follow Luna into another room and it has a big table with various kinds of food on it. I see Luna already taking her seat and I hasten to follow her.</p><p>“Lexa, I know you and I disagree on many things but would you kindly tell why you are travelling with <em>Graceus </em>scum?” She starts off calmly but she almost hisses the last word.</p><p>“You are no longer a Roman Luna. So you don’t get to complain. And you are the queen of Amazons. How do you get by without hating the Greeks? I’m sure there are a few Greek demigods here.” I snap back and quite viciously too.</p><p>“They’re different. They left them to come join us. But those girls….they’re from the Greek camp. And why are you wearing their camp T-shirt?”  </p><p>“They helped me. And I choose to have them on my quest.” I re-account everything that happened over the last 3 days.</p><p>She’s so surprised that she forgets to chew.</p><p>“So how do you remember me?” She asks curiously.</p><p>“These memory they come in flashes. I had one with you and me fighting just before you left to join the Amazons.” I say bitterly.</p><p>“I had to, Lexa. The only reason why I came back to you was because you needed help” She starts in a patronizing tone.</p><p>“Don’t talk to me as if you are my sister. You stopped being my sister when you abandoned me to join these people when I needed you the most. You quit. I was 8. ” I’m shouting now.</p><p>She looks helpless and I almost take pity on her. Almost.</p><p>“We had just lost Mom and monsters were chasing us. I was 8. Eight and you left me with Lupa. I was with her for 3 years you know? I didn’t understand what was going on at all. But make no mistake, you returned to help me. And I’m grateful. And you left again, going back to them just when I was thinking you’d stay.” I bring my fist down on the table down hard and she flinches. She sighs and tries again.</p><p>“Lexa, you have to understand. I heard you were having troubles with the praetorship. I came to help you. I never had any intentions of staying.”</p><p>Praetor. Purple toga. Anya. Gustus. Lincoln.</p><p>“Oh you never did. You wanted to be free of your responsibility and you got it. Let’s just leave it at that.” I’m so angry at all the pent up feelings and emotions and I control myself to stop saying anything more.</p><p>“Look this isn’t a social call. I need your help. It’s about Vulcan.” She sighs but straightens up. She probably knew exactly how this dinner would go.</p><p>“I’ve heard rumors that he’s been held captive but I didn’t believe them till now.” She says somberly.</p><p>“I had a vision. He kept trying to melt his way through the cages but it just kept growing. There were so many computers around that room and they were running something. And then he looks straight at me and says that time is running out. He has only before 21 June, Summer Solstice to stop her.”</p><p>“Her? Who was he referring to?” Luna looks confused.</p><p>“I don’t know. And I didn’t see anybody else in the room.”</p><p>“So what do you want from us?”</p><p>“Any clue about where he could be held. The prophecy said north.”</p><p>“If a God isn’t able to save himself, he can only be in one place. Alaska.”</p><p>I nod agreeing with her. “And summer solstice is in 2 days. You have maximum till sunset on June 21 to save him.”</p><p>“Alaska is a big place. But I know someone who can make it easier for you to find him.”</p><p>“Her name is Emori. She’s one of the homeless here in Toronto. But she’s a spirit. Knows almost everything. She drives a hard bargain but she’ll tell you want you to know.”</p><p>I nod simply and continue eating. Luna seems to understand.</p><p>“Come on squirt. Let’s get you to bed.” She says and my body shivers unwillingly. She hasn’t called me that forever. The last time she called me that was before Mom’s accident and she was putting me to bed.</p><p>Tears spring in my eyes despite my own violation and she sees it. She simply gets up and hugs me.</p><p>“I’m sorry Lexa. For abandoning you.”</p><p>“I know.” I sniff. And for a brief moment, I feel at peace.</p><p>-------------</p><p>“So your totally hot sister who also happens to be queen asked us to go seek the homeless?” Raven asks. Octavia laughs at the look on my face.</p><p>“Gross. Don’t ever call my sister hot.”</p><p>“And I didn’t think your last name would be Woods. I thought it’ll be something like sea or waves.” Octavia rolls her eyes.</p><p>“I always went to the beach because it reminded me of Luna. I didn’t know it then. I know now.” Octavia glares at Raven for being insensitive. Oh how the times change.</p><p>“Wait, she’s Poseidon’s daughter?”</p><p>“No. Neptune actually.”</p><p>“How?” Octavia almost shouts.</p><p>“What how? How my mom had 2 different demigod daughters? She adopted me. Luna was hers.”</p><p>Raven and Octavia lose the smirk on their face.</p><p>“It’s so weird that you remember so much about yourself now.”</p><p>“I don’t really. Just my childhood and how I got to the roman camp.” From the lack of surprise on Octavia or Raven’s face, I think they know that I’m a roman demigod.</p><p>“Where is the Roman camp?” Octavia asks. Something deep in my bones tries to stop me from telling them where we are but I tell her anyway. I trust them.</p><p>“San Francisco.”</p><p>“But that’s near Mount Othrys. The Titan Atlas holding up the sky.” Raven remembers.</p><p>“Yes. The presence of the Roman camp and the Titan Mountain is probably why Greek demigods never go there.” Octavia says.</p><p>“Why have we been separated? It’s not like we might fight each other.” Octavia wonders out aloud.</p><p>“But it’s exactly that.” But I don’t get a chance to explain more as we see Emori.</p><p>She smells us before we even reach her.</p><p>“What are two Greek demigods and one very powerful Roman demigod doing together in my part of the city?”</p><p>“We need your help.” Octavia starts.</p><p>“You demigods always need my help.” She hisses.</p><p>“We need to know where Hephaestus is being held.” Raven asks again. I notice the way Emori’s eyes glint maliciously.</p><p>“I might know but I need a favor in return.” I remember Luna’s warning. She drives a hard bargain.</p><p>“There’s a creature running around here stealing my things. I want you to find him and bring him to me. And if possible retrieve my things too. You’ll have to also find a chip of mine.”</p><p>“A chip?” Octavia asks.</p><p>“Yes. A very small one.” She indicates the size comparing it to half her small finger. “I need it. You give it to me and I’ll tell you where he is.”</p><p>“Swear on the river Styx that you’ll help us once we get the chip for you.” Raven interrupts me.  </p><p>“I swear on the river Styx that I’ll help you once you find the creature who has been stealing from me and get me my chip.” Emori repeats and Raven seems satisfied.</p><p>“How do we find him?” Octavia asks Emori.</p><p>“He should be in the High Park. Near the lake. And you better hurry. You have tomorrow till sundown to save Hephaestus.”</p><p>-----------</p><p>“Something seems off about Emori.” Octavia voices the concern in all our heads.</p><p>“I know. But we need that information.” I say and sigh heavily.</p><p>It’s early morning in Toronto and it’s quite chilly. I shiver involuntarily.</p><p>“It’s summer. It’s not supposed to be this chilly.” Octavia notices and says.</p><p>“Global Warming.” Raven simply remarks.</p><p>“Isn’t that supposed to make Earth hotter? Not colder.”</p><p>“It makes Earth unpredictable. Ever since Pan died, it’s been like this.” Raven replies.</p><p>We come across a fountain and Raven stops us.</p><p>“It’s still early. Clarke is probably sleeping. Let’s wake her up.” Raven comes up with such evil plans. But it sounds fun.</p><p>Octavia grins as she takes a golden drachma from her pocket and throws it into the fountain.</p><p>“O goddess accept our offering.” And then “Hades cabin, camp half blood.”</p><p>It doesn’t strike me till then that Clarke might be undressed and in sleep wear. I blush as I think about it.</p><p>But then her room appears but I don’t see her anywhere. All the beds are made and none of them look as if they’ve been slept in.</p><p>“Where is she? Didn’t she go to bed last night?”</p><p>“She could have made her bed and left, right?” I ask. Octavia and Raven snort at the same time. They both look worried.</p><p>“She only cleans when there is a cabin inspection. She hasn’t been to bed all night. Call Bellamy.” Raven orders and Octavia nods.</p><p>A moment later, the big house appears.</p><p>“Bellamy is in the Big House?” Octavia wonders.</p><p>“Hey Bell!” He turns and looks at us and his eyes almost pop out. “What are you doing here? And where is Clarke?”</p><p>His face is full of panic when he says “Clarke is missing.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Try guessing who the cave woman who looks like Clarke to Lexa might be. ;) </p><p>And where you do think Clarke is?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. “Terrible times are yet to come Clarke.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Where does Clarke go?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I wake up to my head throbbing painfully and my arms and legs extremely stiff. They’re cramping.</p><p>I open my eyes slowly and find that my hands are tied behind my back and my legs which are stretched out are tied together at the ankles. I’m half sitting half lying and this position is extremely uncomfortable.</p><p>I look around the cave further and I notice someone sitting with their back to me kindling the fire.</p><p>“Excuse me.” My throat is dry and my voice breaks. How did I get here? Wasn’t I going to sleep in my cabin? Wasn’t I teasing Bellamy about Raven?</p><p>The person jumps to their feet and turns around pointing a sword at me.</p><p>It’s a woman. She has straight blond hair that looks like it hasn’t been washed for days. She has high cheekbones and the look she has on her face is nothing short of murderous.</p><p>“I finally managed to catch one of you. Now tell me what you’re doing to my people.” She says. Something in her voice has me trembling with fear but what the hell is she talking about?</p><p>“Your people? What---" Before I can complete my sentence, a fist punches me on my face. My face turns away a lot of force. I can taste blood in my mouth. The whole side of my face is now throbbing.</p><p>“Don’t you dare try to buy time. Tell me what you do to us in the mountain.”</p><p>“Mountain?” Another slap and I can see stars. I can feel something warm on my cheeks.</p><p>“Please. I don’t know what you are talking about.” I try again but this time it’s a punch to the gut.</p><p>“Stop seriously stop. I don’t even know who you are. And I’m not supposed to be here.” I say. If I had any energy left, I would have shadow traveled. I can’t see my sword around anywhere either.</p><p>“You were walking in the forest all alone. You have to be from the mountain.” She sounds so sure.</p><p>“Look you’re under some kind of delusion because the last thing I remember is going back to my cabin.” </p><p>“What cabin?” She asks believing she might have just gotten a break through with me.</p><p>“Hades cabin. At Camp Half-Blood.” I almost shout.</p><p>She stumbles back, her face full of complete astonishment. She regains herself but she looks even angrier now. If that’s even possible.</p><p>“Did you say Hades?” She growls.</p><p>“Yes. God of the Underworld, Death and many more.” I shout back glad that she’s listening.</p><p>“<em>Graceus.”</em> She says but it’s in a language I’ve never heard before. But I know what it means. It means Greek.</p><p>“Wait!” I shriek. Looking back it seemed like a stupid idea but I thought it was the best then. She seems shocked at my outburst.</p><p>“Do you know Lexa?” Her face transforms from surprise to confusion to anger. She looks beyond the world pissed.</p><p>Only this time she’s so angry that she pulls me up and has her elbow placed on my throat.</p><p>“How do you know her? Did you kidnap her? Is she alive?” Her face looks positively murderous up close.</p><p>“No no!” Oh Hades! She’s quick to jump to conclusions. “She came to our camp the day before. Memory wiped. She’s the daughter of Jupiter.”</p><p>“Memory wiped?”</p><p>“Yes. She doesn’t remember anyone. She left on a quest yesterday too.”</p><p>Anya starts laughing. She pushes away from me suddenly and I’m trying to balance myself on my tied legs. I try again.</p><p>“Look on her upper arm, she has the tattoo of an eagle and 8 vertical lines and something like SPQR written. Am I right?”</p><p>She stops laughing suddenly. I know that I struck gold.</p><p>“I’m sure you have one too. She has an eagle because she’s the daughter of Jupiter. SPQR signifies the Roman camp and those 8 lines are the number of years she’s been in camp just like my beads.” I point to the necklace I’m wearing. I'm just making this all up. Anya's reaction is enough to know whether I am right or not. And till now, I'm doing all right.</p><p>“How do I know that you’re not lying?” Anya asks again. It’s clear that she’s not willing to trust me.</p><p>“I don’t even know your name. All I know is that there is some misunderstanding between the Romans and the Greeks and that’s probably why Lexa was sent to out camp.”</p><p>“Misunderstanding? It was murder. The Greeks murdered 25 of us before they disappeared. We’ve been after the Greeks for revenge ever since.” I’m shocked and I know she reads it on my face.</p><p>She laughs mirthlessly. “What? Can’t believe that your people would be capable of such things?”</p><p>“I didn’t know. When was this?”</p><p>“Almost a 100 years ago.”</p><p>“100 years? And you’re still carrying vengeance? Wouldn’t those Greeks have died by now?”</p><p>“So what? We should let the cold blooded murder of our people go unavenged just because those perpetrators are dead?”</p><p>“So you’re trying to kill us still for something we’re not even responsible for?” I’m shouting.</p><p>“Blood must have blood.” She sounds like a cult when she says that.</p><p>“Don’t you get it? Why do you think Lexa was sent to our camp and why do you think I’m talking with you now?”</p><p>Anya looks vaguely disturbed. I continue.</p><p>“The Gods are trying to bring both our camps together. Lexa went on a quest possibly to save Hephaestus.” At her blank face, I say “Vulcan.”</p><p>She nods understanding and acceptance slowly dawning on her face.</p><p>“Many of our devices and inventions have been failing too. It’s like there’s a curse or something.” She replies deep in thought. I’m surprised. Raven never told me anything about this.</p><p>“I don’t even know your name.” I say. She stares at me for a few seconds before saying “Anya Willis. Daughter of Mars. Centurion of the First Cohort.”</p><p>I don’t understand what she meant by first cohort but I nod anyways. “Clarke Griffin. Daughter of Hades.” I would have extended my hand if they weren’t tied.</p><p>“Anya please. Untie me. We can work together and defeat this mountain you keep mentioning.”</p><p>“I still don’t believe you.” Her face hardens momentarily but she moves forward and begins to untie me.</p><p>“Didn’t Lexa tell you about the mountain?” She asks me as if it would have been the first thing she normally talks about with a stranger.</p><p>“No. Like I said she didn’t know anything other than her name. Not even her last name.”</p><p>“Woods.” Anya coughs.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Her name. Lexa Woods.” She looks at me suspiciously again as if she’s losing her trust in me.</p><p>“Look. I’m not lying. There’s a way I can contact her. Iris message.” But there’s still no sign of recognition.</p><p>“Don’t you guys have a god of messages or rainbows?” I ask and in reply she snorts.</p><p>“If there was anyone who had to be a god of rainbows, it’ll be Lexa.” I turn my head so that Anya doesn’t catch my blush. But she does.</p><p>“So something happened between the two of you already? You say she lost her memory and there you are preying on her.” I shrink because what she’s saying is true in a way.</p><p>“I didn’t take advantage. I’m not some bitch, Anya.” I snap back.</p><p>She’s quiet now. I take advantage of her silence and start searching my pockets for golden drachmas and I come up empty.</p><p>“What do you think you’re doing?” She points the sword at my neck again.</p><p>“I’m looking for a drachma so that I can contact Lexa.”</p><p>“What’s a drachma?” I forget that Romans didn’t have the concept of drachmas. Instead they moved on to coins.</p><p>“Have a roman coin? It’s worth a shot.” She hands me one.</p><p>“Do you know any place where there’s water spraying?” I ask Anya.</p><p>“No. And you’re not going anywhere. The Mountain controls all these parts of the forest.”</p><p>“Why are you here then?” That too alone.</p><p>“After Costia--- After something bad happened, Lexa left the camp and walked into the forest. I was hoping that she was hiding somewhere and was not taken by the Mountain.” I notice Anya’s hesitance about mentioning someone named Costia but I don’t ask her about it.</p><p>She’s just starting to believe what I say.</p><p>“Come on. I’ve got to take you to camp. You need to explain what’s going on.” She starts gathering her supplies.</p><p>“I’d prefer that you weren’t armed but” She hands me my sword. “We have a bigger enemy.” I briefly wonder if this was the bigger threat the prophecy talked about.</p><p>“What is the mountain and why are you so scared of it?” I ask as we move out of the cave cautiously.</p><p>“Because we don’t know anything about it. Just that Roman demigods disappear around here.” She says with an edge to her tone.</p><p>“When you said I was walking before in the forest, was someone else there with me?”</p><p>Anya shakes her head but looks at me suspiciously.</p><p>“Look Anya, there’s probably a reason why Lexa’s mind was wiped and mine wasn’t. Maybe I’m not supposed to come to your camp.”</p><p>“I knew it! All you Greeks are the same. Cowards!” She remarks and it stings.</p><p>“That’s not what I meant. Romans are extremely hostile towards us Greeks.” She glares at me. “And with good reason.” I add hastily. “All I’m saying is they’ll believe Lexa’s word more than mine. Or even yours. But you don’t seem to trust me either.” I say. When Anya doesn’t say anything, I continue saying.</p><p>“Maybe we should look around. See what’s happening.” At my suggestion she growls.</p><p>“No we can’t. They have some fog that kills us all when we come into contact with it. We won’t be able to go further into their territory without getting ourselves killed.”</p><p>“What kind of fog?”</p><p>“It’s hard to explain. It’s almost dark. Can’t see through it. People who have entered the fog never come out, so we never know. But it’s not often they deploy it. I’ve rarely seen it. Once or Twice. They prefer catching us and taking us into their base. They’re always wearing some kind of gear. And those Romans who return are all hallucinating. They’re mangled and tortured. So we get no information from them at all.”</p><p>“What happens to them?” I ask with trepidation.</p><p>“Mercy.” Anya voice has reduced to a whisper.</p><p>The Romans have very little information on their enemy. Maybe that’s why they still haven’t managed to find a solution.</p><p>“How long have you been fighting them?”</p><p>Anya sighs heavily before answering “Almost 60 years.”</p><p>“60 years!? And you still haven’t identified your enemies?” Anya now looks ready to kill.</p><p>“Come on. We’re almost here.”</p><p>And that’s when we’re attacked.</p><p>One man in some gear comes out of nowhere and surrounds us. Two more join him and we’re outnumbered.</p><p>Anya and I are standing back to back, swords raised ready to attack.</p><p>They seem to be talking amongst themselves because in the next moment one of them opens something and drops it on the ground.</p><p>I make a move to attack but my arms feel very heavy all of a sudden. My head starts swimming and then the last thing I see before I fall to the ground is the face of a palely white man crouching next to me on the ground.</p><p>--------------</p><p>When I come to, my eyes take a while to adjust to the bright color. I’m still wearing my T-shirt and jeans but my sword is missing. My necklace is also still with me.</p><p>I place a hand over my beads to comfort myself as I look around the room.</p><p>Suddenly there’s a buzzing sound and my room’s door opens. A very pale man enters the room and he’s dressed in a pristine suit.</p><p>“Hello. My name is Dante Wallace, son of Athena. You are a Greek demigod.” At my nod, he laughs. It makes my body hair stand straight up. “We never see one around here roaming the forest . They’re always Roman.”</p><p>Greek demigod. The people in the mountain are Greeks. What?</p><p>Something says that this is not how demigods are generally treated here.</p><p>“I’m Clarke Griffin. Daughter of Hades.” Dante looks even surprised. He looks gleeful.</p><p>“Hades? You must be a very powerful demigod.” I don’t say anything but keep looking at him impassively.</p><p>“How many times have you seen your dad?” I’m taken aback by this question. Why is he asking me this?</p><p>“A couple of times, I guess.” I say my voice unsure.</p><p>“Over say what 20 years you’ve seen your dad twice? Isn’t that just a pity?” He starts to speak patronizingly but I don’t have time for this bullshit.</p><p>“Who are you? And what do even want from me?” I ask him forcefully. I’m pissed at my dad and at this idiot.</p><p>I think that this is exactly the kind of response he was looking for because he looks even happier now.</p><p>“Come on Clarke. Let me tell you the whole story.” And he guides me out of my room.</p><p>I need to find Anya and get back to camp.</p><p>“Meet my son, Cage.” He introduces me to a pale man in a suit similar to Dante’s. Son? Demigods have sons?</p><p>I decide to play along until I find Anya and get us out of here.</p><p>“Do you know about why Greeks and Romans do not mingle?” Anya told me a bunch of Greek demigods…..shit Dante is a Greek demigod. What if he was responsible? But he’d be over 100 now but he doesn’t look a day past 60.</p><p>I shake my head. To support my lie, I make it more convincing. “I didn’t know a roman camp existed until a few days ago.”</p><p>“This is the mountain. We’ve been living here for the past 100 years. Time does not pass here. We’re exactly how we were 100 years ago.”</p><p>100 years ago. These could possibly be the Greeks who attacked the Romans a century ago and started a rife.</p><p>“And the gods!” He scoffs. “They punished us for defending their honor.”</p><p>So they attacked the Romans 100 years ago over some stupid ego issues on whose gods’ was better. I almost smack my forehead against my palm.</p><p>“Placed us right near the Romans so that each day when we saw them flourishing, it could come as a kick to us. Which it did.”</p><p>The Gods instead of killing them, cursed them to eons and eons of mental torture. Only for it to backfire like all of their other plans.</p><p>Cage interrupts us and says something to Dante in his ear. I notice the cell phone in his hand. I catch the name Becca and a date-21.</p><p>How the hell did they get phones when they’ve been prisoners for so long?</p><p>“Cell signals attract monsters.” I blurt out before I can help myself. Dante merely laughs while Cage has a malicious glint in his eye.</p><p>“Why Miss Griffin. That would merely help us. Not harm.” I nod simply keeping myself calm on the outside.</p><p>Inside I was bursting. These people are plotting against the Gods. There’s another person involved named Becca who may or may not be inside the mountain.</p><p>So somehow the mountain has been gathering support over the years and doing something to the Roman demigods. How?</p><p>As Cage walks away, Dante turns and looks at me.</p><p>“So what do you say Miss Griffin. Ready to join our cause?” He asks as if his decision to kill me doesn’t depend on it.</p><p>I decide on telling the half-truth.</p><p>“I know Gods have been negligent. They don’t care about demigods at all. But they use us in twisted ways to get something done.” Like me. Like I’m in this mess. “But won’t our people also die?” I try to use the word our people- demigods to maximum effect and from the look on his face I know I’ve succeeded.</p><p>“Trust me Clarke when I say this. There are better people to worship than gods and this sacrifice will be worth it.” His face creeps me out.</p><p>He checks his watch and says he has somewhere else to be. He leaves me with a girl named Maya.</p><p>“Maya will take you to your bunk. See you around. You’ve chosen the right side.” He assures me again and leaves.</p><p>I look at Maya and I recognize her face from somewhere.</p><p>“I know you! You were there in camp last summer.” I say excitedly.</p><p>“And 3 years before that.” Maya snaps. Shit!</p><p>“I know. You were on my team for Capture the Flag multiple times.” I say. She nods but her face looks sour.</p><p>“What are you doing here? Why didn’t you come this year?”</p><p>“Did you even know my name before Dante introduced me? Do you know who my parent is?” She asks and the answer is no to both. She must know it on my face.</p><p>“Undetermined. For 4 years straight. So a bunch of people left and I joined them. Heard rumors about someplace which is home. I came here and Dante accepted me. When no one else did.” She snaps at me and I raise my hands.</p><p>I knew how she was feeling. Hermes had a lot of undetermined campers but they get claimed. I never knew that some demigods weren’t being claimed.</p><p>“How many people are here?”</p><p>“Close to a 50 demigods.” That was a large number.</p><p>I also know that there was no way she was going to help me so I play pretend too.</p><p>“I’m sorry for not being more attentive. But I’m here too. You might think that I have a powerful dad but you don’t know how hard it is every day.” I manage to convince her and she leads me to my bunk.</p><p>There are so many Greek demigods from our camp here and I feel that there is something fundamentally wrong with the system.</p><p>Many of them recognize me. I am the daughter of Hades. One of the most powerful demigods ever. Simply put how could they not?</p><p>-----------</p><p>I grab a couple of forks and knives during dinner when nobody sees me. I can simply hope that I’ve been stealthy enough.</p><p>I had to find Anya immediately. I didn’t know what sort of danger she’d be in or how long she’ll last. It’s already been more than 10 hours since I got here.</p><p>At night, just after everybody goes off to sleep, I leave my bunk and head to the infirmary.</p><p>I see a couple of people there but I just say “I was trained to be a healer in camp.” And then let me through. They didn’t seem too bothered either.</p><p>I notice that very bed had a blood transfusion machine. Courtesy Abby Griffin. She took me to her hospital when I was young.</p><p>Then it made sense. They were fooling the Gods curse. They took blood from the Romans and roamed the forests while they manipulated the curse into thinking that they were Romans. But this works for a while only.</p><p>I follow the tubes which supply blood to the machines and it leads to a room. It needs some card. There’s a vent and I manage to squeeze myself through.</p><p>I see rows and rows of cages, stacked up one another but the most disturbing was people inside them. They looked they couldn’t even move.</p><p>Most of them looked pale and were knocked out. Giving their whole blood volume might just do this to them. I look through the cages until I find the one I’m looking for.</p><p>Anya must already been drained once because her head is limp and she’s barely breathing.</p><p>“Clarke?” I notice a man’s voice behind me and I twist around afraid that I’ve been caught. It’s Miller.</p><p>He was also undetermined. He must have come here with Maya. But what the hell is he doing here. Shouldn’t he be with the others?</p><p>“Miller? What?” I don’t even know what to say. I only thought they took Romans because of some grudge but it looked like it goes beyond that.</p><p>“What are you doing here? Why aren’t you with the others?” He looks extremely pale and he’s hardly able to open his eyes.</p><p>“We came here and then I saw what they were doing. Brian, I and a few others didn’t like what they were doing. We refused to be a part and then the next thing we know is that we’re stripped and then hung upside down giving blood.” I flinch.</p><p>I feel furious but I also know I won’t be doing much if I released them now. They’re all extremely weak. I mentally promise to get them out of here.</p><p>I need to get Anya out of here. She’s unconscious. I notice that all cases have keypads.</p><p>How does the mountain have so much technology? They were basically planning a mutiny against the gods and someone was helping them.</p><p>And also there was something about someone named Becca. Who the hell is she? And something about 21<sup>st</sup>. Tomorrow.</p><p>Anya starts to move slightly. I crouch next to her.</p><p>“Anya, Anya listen to me. It’s Clarke. Just hold on. I’ll get you out of here.” I promise her but I’m not sure if she’s listening or not.</p><p>Just then the door opens and I hurry to hide behind some of the other cages, hoping that they don’t see me. The guy stops 2 rows in front and enters something in the keypad. Two presses on the lower row- same numbers and then once in the top and another one in the lower row again.</p><p>That roughly left me with at least 100 combinations to try. But I don’t have time of that kind.</p><p>He’s pulling some other demigod from the cage and moving him to an area filled with ropes and weird mechanisms.</p><p>That’s where they string us up and drain our blood. My blood boils at the very thought. While the guy is busy stringing the roman demigod up I sneak up on him and press the knife I stole from dinner against his neck.</p><p>“One move and you die.” I whisper and he stills immediately.</p><p>“Good. Now tell me the code for the cages.” At his continued silence, I press the knife harder and draw blood.</p><p>“9937” He whimpers.</p><p>“Thanks” I whisper and before he can react, I smash his head on the metal pole holding the mechanisms used to lift people. I smash his head again on the pole and he crumples.</p><p>I enter the access code and I wake Anya up. Slapping her a couple of times. She’s groggy but at least she’s moving.</p><p>“How?”</p><p>“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you as soon as we get out of here.” Anya tries to keep a brave face but she fails miserably. I know she’s exhausted.</p><p>“All these people. My people. We need to save them.” Anya says. I look at her sadly.</p><p>“My people are there here too. The only way is to escape and return with help.” She knows but she looks undecided yet.</p><p>“I’m going to try to shadow travel us both out of here. They have cameras everywhere. Monsters too. We can’t go back into the hallways. They’ll find us immediately.”</p><p>I’m scared about how exhausted I’ll be once I travel with Anya. But there simply isn’t another option.</p><p>“I’ve never seen the Roman camp before. So I’m blindly going to travel to a location few miles away. We won’t know what’s waiting for us there. I might collapse or I might not. But you have to tell me if it’s closer or further away from camp.” I say and she nods wearily.</p><p>“Come on Anya. Get it together. Hold my hands. It’s going to bad the first time you travel.”</p><p>I close my eyes and step into the shadows. I twist into the shadows and the last thing I remember before losing consciousness is Anya shouting “We’re near.”  </p><p>--------------</p><p>“Clarke.” I know that voice. The way she stresses on the letter k. Soft and angelic. Green eyes. Lexa’s face swims into my view. i shiver. Then her face disappears. I shut my eyes.</p><p>“Clarke.” My eyes open to this voice.</p><p>“Dad.”</p><p>“Clarke, you’ve been so brave, my child.” Hades says and I smile at him. But there’s something else in his tone.</p><p>“But there’s more. Octavia and Raven need you. Lexa needs you.” I wish everyone else saw him the way I see him. He way my mom saw him.</p><p>“Terrible times are yet to come Clarke.” He sighs and adds. “Wake up and help Anya.” I sober up when I hear her name.</p><p>“Why did you leave this problem to mature into something this huge?” Bitterness fills my voice.</p><p>“That will always be our mistake. It’s what we are. And that’s why we need demigods. We cannot fight our enemies without you.” I shake my head disagreeing with him but what more can I say?</p><p>That this could have been avoided if you payed more attention to us? Your children? Your subjects wouldn’t have joined the other side. He knows what’s going on through my head.</p><p>He shakes his this time. “I can’t talk to you about this.” I’m angry now. Why can’t he tell me anything concrete?</p><p>“You have to go Clarke. Anya needs you now.” And with that he disappears and I wake up with a gasp.</p><p>I sit up quickly and my head swims. I fall back with a groan.</p><p>“Hey Blondie! You’ve been asleep for the last hour. You got us near camp but we’re still in their territory.” Anya looks better but she’s still pale.</p><p>“I had to drag us into a cave nearby so that we weren’t found. You’re heavy.”</p><p>“All I hear is Clarke thanks! You’re awesome.” My throat is dry and my tongue is parched.</p><p>Anya snorts. I slowly sit up. “We don’t have our weapons. Except a knife and fork. So I decided to hide instead.”</p><p>“They would have found out now that we’re missing. We need to hurry.” She stresses again.</p><p>“How many times have you tried shadow travelling?” She looks concerned or maybe I’m just imagining it.</p><p>“With someone else, the first time. I hardly use it. Never really had to use it except for camp games. Don’t like it.” I think of the cold feeling and I shudder immediately.</p><p>“Look, Clarke I don’t mean to stress you but we need to move.” She says now with a desperate tone to her voice.</p><p>“I know Anya. Once we get there, I can assure you that I’ll collapse. It’s worse if there’s shadows coming out of my body. You will have to give me nectar or ambrosia immediately. Or I might just become a part of the shadows.” And that’s very bad. I don’t have to add it. Anya from her face knows how serious it is.</p><p>I’m going to be tapping into my energy sources to such an extent, I don’t know how long I’ll be out.</p><p>“Let’s go Anya.” I take her hands and step into the shadows again.</p><p>Only this time it isn’t a cold feeling, it’s burning everywhere. And with every single last of my strength, I push Anya outside and then I feel nothing at all.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. "You going on a quest for love?"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lexa, Raven and Octavia go on about their quest.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What do you mean? Clarke disappeared?” Raven shouts.</p><p>Bellamy looks helpless. “We were talking about the quest and life in general. Then she…” He stops talking and blushes.</p><p>There’s an uncomfortable swoop in my stomach and I feel hot all over. Did something happen between them? Is that why he’s blushing?</p><p>“Then what Bellamy?” Octavia almost shouts.</p><p>“Look it’s not important. The last I saw of her she was walking to her cabin.” Bellamy finishes but he still looks uncomfortable.</p><p>In the background Kane is looking extremely distraught. But he’s not saying anything at all. Just staring at the wall.</p><p>“Look we’ll look for Clarke here. You guys carry on with your quest.” He says. He looks at Octavia and Raven who are almost bursting with anger and he adds hastily. “If there’s any news I’ll let you know.”</p><p>Bellamy and Kane disappear.</p><p>There’s a sense of futility and helplessness in the air. I can’t help but think that if I hadn’t left Clarke behind maybe she wouldn’t have disappeared.</p><p>We walk towards the lake. All of us are silent.</p><p>“What if she’s following us?” Raven pipes up.</p><p>Holy shit! What if she actually was? She was pretty pissed at not being on the quest. She might have decided to come after us.</p><p>“That’s possible.” Octavia nods.</p><p>And then I see the creature. It’s a harpy.</p><p>“Harpies steal stuff right? But they don’t generally. Not without reason.” Raven says and I have to agree with her.</p><p>“Harpies are Jupiter’s birds. Or they were. Maybe I can convince it to give us Emori’s things back.” I say but I’m not sure.</p><p>“Why past tense?”</p><p>“They started to guard Tartarus later.”</p><p>“Okay. Shit that’s not good.” I snort.</p><p>“Guys, you’re forgetting one thing. We have to capture her and take her back to Emori.” Raven points out.</p><p>“Alive.” Octavia adds and I glare at her.</p><p>“Not helpful at all.” I look to Raven. “She might not come easy. Is there any way you can make a cage?”</p><p>She doesn’t bother me with a response. Instead she’s looking in her tool kit and she gives me a thumbs up.</p><p>“Octavia, I’ll distract the harpy. You find the chip.” She nods and moves stealthily away from me.</p><p>“Hey!” I shout raising my sword at the harpy. She looks up and shrieks.</p><p>She immediately takes off in the air and I follow her on foot.</p><p>“What do you want demigod?”</p><p>“I just want to talk to you.” I shout. She’s so high up in the air.</p><p>“If you wanted to, you would not have drawn your weapon. What do you want?”</p><p>I lift myself slowly off the ground hoping that the harpy is looking at me. Not at Raven nor her nest.</p><p>“I need information about Emori.” At her very mention, the harpy shrieks out and flies away even further.</p><p>I follow her but I maintain a safe distance. We’re over the middle of the lake now.</p><p>“Don’t mention her name. She hits me.” I notice the red marks all over her body.</p><p>“What’s your name?” I ask softening my voice a little bit. I hear a whistle and I look in the direction of the sound. It’s Raven and she gives a thumbs up.</p><p>But unfortunately so did the harpy. She shrieks very loudly till this and tries to fly away but I summon winds and hold her in place.</p><p>It’s almost like there’s a mini tornado around the harpy making her scream even more loudly.</p><p>I control the tornado so that it merely confuses her and move it into the cage Raven holds. Once she’s safely inside the cage, which Raven seems to have made with tree sticks and some kind of wire holding them together, I remove the winds.</p><p>She starts to shriek again and tries to use her very sharp claws to escape.</p><p>“Couldn’t you have signalled a little bit less conspicuously?” I ask her when she offers me a grin.</p><p>“We got her anyways.” I sigh and shake my head.</p><p>“Raven, Emori doesn’t seem like some prey. She’s been hurting the harpy pretty badly.” Raven frowns but listens to me.</p><p>“Lexa! Raven! You need to see this.” Octavia calls for us.</p><p>“I got the chip.” She hands it to Raven, who starts to examine it closely. “And look at this. I think the harpy stole this too.”</p><p>It’s some kind of a backpack with a metal buckle. Octavia opens it and it looks like some kind of device. It has a big circular glass like thing which has a glowing gem at its centre.</p><p>Raven comes forward and takes a look at it too.</p><p>“What is a harpy doing with such advanced technology?” I ask rhetorically.</p><p>“It’s some kind of a powering device. Don’t know what it’s powering from so far away.” Raven’s looking at it from all angles but she’s not touching it.</p><p>“Do you think it belongs to Emori?” Octavia asks.</p><p>“If it was and if it was important, she would have asked for this instead. Why did she ask for the chip?” I’m puzzled. Maybe it wasn’t Emori’s.</p><p>“The chip doesn’t look like anything at all. It’s just a chip. I don’t know what she needs it for.”</p><p>“Raven and I have a plan to free the harpy after she gives us the information.” I look at Octavia.</p><p>“Wouldn’t you be breaking the oath?”</p><p>“Nope.” Raven looks positively excited. “We told her we’ll get the harpy. We said nothing about not helping her escape.”</p><p>--------------</p><p>We walk back to where we last saw Emori. She’s sitting on a bench and eating something. When she sees us, she puts it away and rushes to us.</p><p>“You guys caught the harpy. Good. Now give her to me.” She asks gesturing with her arms.</p><p>I step in between Raven and Emori. “Not until you tell us about Hephaestus.”</p><p>“No. Give me the harpy and my chip now.” She shakes her head stubbornly.</p><p>I pull out the chip from my pocket and give it to her. “You have what you asked for. Once you tell us where he’s being held, I’ll hand the harpy over to you.”</p><p>The harpy starts to shriek again.</p><p>She looks at the chip closely and eyes us a couple of times.</p><p>“Are you sure there was nothing else?” Her eyes are almost like slits now.</p><p>“There were a few things but we weren’t sure what yours was. Now that you have her,” I jerk my head to indicate the harpy. “you can go look for whatever you want yourself.”</p><p>She looks at me for a few seconds and seems reasonably satisfied.</p><p>“The god is being held in the Portage Glacier.” She says with a smirk.</p><p>“Now wait. That’s a big glacier. Where do we find him there?” Octavia butts in.</p><p>“You asked for my help. I gave you what you wanted. Now let’s complete the deal.” Emori snarls now.</p><p>I nod and raise my hands as I step back and let Raven hand the bird to her.</p><p>It’s hardly a couple of seconds later when the harpy flies through the wooden sticks that are lose at one side and lands on Emori’s face.</p><p>Emori lets out a scream and from what I can see it looks quite painful. The harpy gets Emori right over her left eye. She falls back and holds her hands over her eye. The harpy is hovering over us.</p><p>She looks at us with hatred in her eye (no more left eye). “You have no idea what’s waiting for you.” She turns back and runs away.</p><p>The harpy turns to us.</p><p>“You’ll fail to stop what matters most.” She says to us. I’m shocked. What? We won’t be able to save Vulcan?</p><p>“But you did free me in the end. So I’ll let you know one thing. The chip isn’t just anything. It controls.” She announces and takes off into the air.</p><p>“Controls what?” Raven shouts after her but she’s too far gone.</p><p>“What the hell was that?” Octavia speaks out all our thoughts.</p><p>Raven’s face is very pale. I know she’s thinking about her father. Vulcan’s death might just help destroy us all.</p><p>“Raven, she was just angry. I don’t think she realised what she was saying.” I place my hand on her shoulder.</p><p>I’m getting very attached to the both of them. At first they came off as arrogant- especially Octavia but the more I know them, I like them more.</p><p>They remind me of Anya and Lincoln. The rash, rude Anya and the calm collected Lincoln and they were my team. Like two sides of a coin.</p><p>“I appreciate it Lexa. Thanks.” She says dismissively.</p><p>As she walks away, Octavia looks at me and shrugs. She sighs and moves to follow Raven.</p><p>And then I realise. I remember my team. Anya, Daughter of Mars and Lincoln, Son of Apollo. I remember a conversation we had. About the mountain.</p><p>
  <em>“We should just gather our forces and march towards the mountain.” Anya growls frustration very much evident from the kind of idea she had.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What about the black fog?” I ask.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What about the reapers?” Lincoln asks. We share a smile behind Anya’s back. Despite being a very sensitive topic for us, we have our share of fun too. And this time it comes from Anya’s idea.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“And do we even know who our enemies are?” I continue.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What if it’s the titans? Or the giants?” Lincoln continues with a playful smile and I laugh.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Okay! Okay I get it. Stupid idea.” Anya says and sighs.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Lincoln puts one arm around her and pulls her to his chest. “We’ll get them Anya.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“We will.” I promise.  </em>
</p><p>------------</p><p>“So we’re taking a flight to Anchorage?” Octavia asks. As if it isn’t obvious. We’re standing in the goddamned airport waiting for boarding.</p><p>“Yes and then from there we’ll go to the glacier.” I reply. I’m still thinking about the memories I’m getting back.</p><p>The mountain. Reapers. The fog. Everything seems unbreakable. It was like a fortress. We’ve been at war with them for close to 60 years and we don’t even know who our enemies are.</p><p>I’d been praetor for 2 years when Costia, Daughter of Venus, my girlfriend disappeared. Costia was the other praetor but I never filled her position despite many people asking me to do so. We found her body, almost a year, later on a scouting trip.</p><p>That was my last memory. I was arguing with Anya after her burial and I left the camp and walked into the woods to mourn her.</p><p>I remember the brief memory I had after Clarke had almost died. Brown eyes-staring into the void. Unmoving. It was one of the most frequent nightmare I had.</p><p>When she disappeared 3 years ago, I knew that she was dead. But seeing her body shook me up. Very badly.</p><p>After that I remember waking up to the cave woman who looked like Clarke.</p><p>Clarke. Where was she? If she was following us, then she’d lose our trail here. But something in my gut kept telling me otherwise.</p><p>“You okay there Lexa?” Raven asks.</p><p>“Yes. No. I was thinking about Clarke.” I say and Raven’s face drops. Good thinking Lexa.</p><p>“Look Raven, I don’t think she’s following us.” I start.</p><p>“What do you mean?” Octavia asks.</p><p>“Clarke might be the other exchange. To my camp. Like I came to yours.” I say and both Raven’s and Octavia’s mouth drop open.</p><p>“What?” They both shout and many disgruntled and annoyed people look at us.</p><p>“Yes. Think about it. I disappear without a trace one day and I come here. Memory wiped. And then few days later Clarke disappears too.” It looks I’m starting to make sense to them. “Your brother said Clarke didn’t have any plans of following us and she didn’t look like she was up to something. If she was, I’m sure Bellamy would know.” The way I say it makes Octavia frown.</p><p>“Lexa! There’s nothing happening between my brother and Clarke.” Raven snorts, her face full of amusement.</p><p>At least I’m able to cheer her up.</p><p>“Yeah dude. Clarke has been all about you these past few days.” Raven and Octavia share a grin and I blush.</p><p>“Okay. I mean I thought they were together. Because he blushed today.” They both look confused. Then they turn to look at each other and burst out laughing again.</p><p>They receive angry stares but that doesn’t seem to bother them at all.</p><p>“They would have talked something embarrassing. Clarke would have teased him.” They’re laughing pretty hard now, all concerns forgotten.</p><p>I must wear a sheepish look because Raven doubles over at the look on my face.</p><p>“Plus what type of person do you think Clarke is? You guys kissed. Why would she suddenly develop feelings for Bell?” Octavia wears an amused face.</p><p>I stammer not knowing what to say.</p><p>“This got you so worried?” Raven asks after she calms down.</p><p>I shake my head and I look up at them with concern.</p><p>“I’m worried because we aren’t like you people. We aren’t so open minded with new campers. And if Lupa didn’t bring her to us, we wouldn’t believe her at all.”</p><p>“Lupa?”</p><p>“She’s the Goddess of wolves and she trains us before she sends us to camp.”</p><p>“Maybe Clarke does have her approval or whatever. The Gods will probably take care of that.” Octavia says lightly and shrugs it off.</p><p>Raven and I both throw her a sceptical look.</p><p>“Yeah I know. Gods probably just left her in the middle of the forest. Like they did with you.” Octavia says and my face pales.</p><p>But thankfully neither of them notice. If she’s in the forest with the Mountain, then there’ll be nothing worse. I avoid her comment.</p><p>“What I’m trying to say is, we might not accept her at all.” Raven and Octavia still don’t seem to understand.</p><p>“Why? They might not take her right away but they’ll eventually accept her.” Raven shrugs.</p><p>“I’m saying there might be no eventually at all. There’s a kill order on sight for the Greeks.”</p><p>--------------</p><p>Octavia is already fidgeting with her seat belts.</p><p>“There’s no use. We just have to wait to get the message to Kane and Bellamy.” I try for a calm voice but it comes out strained too.</p><p>“Or we don’t.” Raven says with a smile. When she gives that smile, she’s up to no good.</p><p>She gets up and goes into the restroom. Octavia looks as stunned as I am.</p><p>“Is she going to send an Iris message to Kane and Bell from the bathroom of a plane?” Octavia asks me incredulously.</p><p> “Looks like it.”</p><p>Raven comes back after a few minutes and falls into her seat with a huff and a pleased grin on her face.</p><p>“So if I walk in now, I won’t find the restroom sopping wet?” Octavia asks her. Raven merely laughs.</p><p>“You didn’t have to do that on a 12 hour flight.”</p><p>“Please. You wanted to get the message across quickly. They’ll worry about it now. We’ve done everything we can from here.”</p><p>I shake my head and look out the window again.</p><p>Why is Vulcan taken? Why should he get out before the evening of the 21<sup>st</sup>?</p><p>The annual council of the Gods takes place then but if he isn’t present on that day won’t the gods already know about his disappearance and search for him instead?</p><p>I also remember the harpy’s warning about the chip. One thing was clear. It’s used to control but how? Do we have to stick it someplace on our body for it to control us?</p><p>I think about Clarke. She might have a very clam exterior but no child of Pluto or Hades is simple. I pray that she doesn’t meet Anya. Anya has a thick skull and is known for making rash decisions.</p><p>Anya trusting Clarke will be nothing short of a miracle. But Lincoln judges people well. Lincoln might trust Clarke eventually but will Clarke be allowed to live after my people know who she really is.</p><p>I hope her powers of persuasion are nothing short of great. Even if she convinces Anya and Lincoln, she’ll still have to deal with Titus. He runs the augury and reads prophecy.</p><p>He probably will be leading the camp in my absence and that very thought makes me want to go back to camp. The demigods will believe whatever bullshit he feeds them. A close minded stubborn idiot.  </p><p>But I know. Clarke has to hold her own fort till I come. She probably doesn’t even have her memory. I can’t decide what’s worse. Having her memory intact or wiped.  Once I return back to camp, I’ll remove the kill order. I pray to Jupiter.</p><p>It’ll almost be 9 in the evening once we reach Anchorage. Then we approximately 20 hours to reach the glacier, rescue Vulcan and stop the threat.</p><p>------------</p><p>We’re waiting outside the airport waiting for a taxi. A big van pulls up in front of us. The van door slides open and I can smell perfume. It’s just the right amount and it smells amazing.</p><p>Then she gets out of the car.</p><p>“Clarke.” Clarke smiles at me. She’s wearing a beautiful gown and the white pearls around her neck bring out the blue in her eyes. Her blonder hair falls on her shoulders perfectly.</p><p>“Did you just call her Clarke?” Someone says. But I’m simply unable to look away.</p><p> “Shit!” Octavia shouts. Raven looks astonished but doesn’t say anything.</p><p>Can’t they see that Clarke is standing in front of us? Looking gorgeous. So she didn’t go to the Roman camp after all. She’s safe.</p><p>I frown momentarily. What is she doing here dressing up? Not that I’m complaining.</p><p>“Lexa.” Raven touches my arm and makes me look at her. She looks shocked but she’s also trying not to laugh. What?</p><p>“Lexa, that’s not Clarke. That’s Aphrodite. Goddess of Love.”</p><p>“What?” I’m ready to laugh at them but they look serious. Their eyes are shining with amusement.</p><p>I turn to Clarke. “It was you in the cave wasn’t it?”</p><p>Clarke merely nods. Shit. It’s not Clarke and looks like I just confessed my crush on Clarke. Only it isn’t a crush. It’s love.</p><p>I turn to them. Octavia and Raven are staring open mouthed.</p><p>“Who do you guys see?”</p><p>“We see Aphrodite, Lexa.” Raven says her voice very small.</p><p>“Come on. Get in. I’ll give you a ride to the glacier.” Clarke-Venus gestures to the van.</p><p>Octavia and Raven keep staring at Venus meanwhile completely oblivious to the thoughts I’m having.</p><p>Maybe I’m overthinking. I did know Clarke.</p><p>“Lexa, Clarke’s life is in danger.” Venus says and I freeze. It’s like someone just emptied an entire bucket of ice water on my head. Costia and now Clarke.</p><p>The mountain. The Romans. Who?</p><p>“What? How?” I ignore Raven and Octavia’s question and glare at Venus.</p><p>“Why are you telling me this?”</p><p>Venus just shrugs. “Won’t it be great? You going on a quest for love? Saving Clarke.”</p><p>“What?” So what I should go after Clarke now?</p><p>“I also think it’s time you told your friends the prophecy now.” I freeze. Shit.</p><p>Does it mean what I think it means?</p><p>I start shaking my head. I refuse to believe it.</p><p>Raven and Octavia stare at me waiting for me to start singing.</p><p>The van shrieks to a halt and Venus gestures us to get down.</p><p>“How are you here? Aren’t all gods supposed to be locked up? There was no contact for a month at all. And now you are here helping us?” Raven finishes with a question.</p><p>She didn’t really help us. She gave us a choice to make. A choice I have to make. Whether to go after Clarke or continue on the quest?</p><p>Venus merely grins fondly at Raven. She doesn’t reply but instead climbs back into the van with a wave. The van drives away and we’re left standing in the middle of nowhere.</p><p>We are in front of a diner. We turn around and see that both Venus and the van have disappeared.</p><p>“Did she just drop us in the middle of nowhere?” Raven sounds pissed.</p><p>What the hell just happened?</p><p>We walk into the diner and place our orders.</p><p>“So, Lexa I think you owe us both a prophecy.” Octavia says. I look at Raven and see acceptance and determination too.</p><p>
  <em>“Head north to rescue fire,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Child perishes at parent’s hand.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Betrayal and fights ensue,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A choice between love and duty fails</em>
</p><p>
  <em> As a bigger threat evolves.”</em>
</p><p>“A choice between love and duty?” Octavia is looking pale now. So does Raven.</p><p>“This was the missing part?” Octavia says quietly.</p><p>I nod. I look up at them and they look devastated.</p><p>“You love Clarke.” Raven says. My head snaps up at her comment.</p><p>How is it even possible? I’ve known her for less than 3 days.</p><p>“No……”They look sceptical. “I don’t know…Maybe.” I finish lamely.</p><p>“Like your soulmate or some crap?” Raven asks now.</p><p>I look at her my face completely blank.</p><p> “So you know something. Spit it out.” Octavia brazen as usual.</p><p>“Start off with where Clarke is.” Raven asks after she takes a bite off her burger.</p><p>“I’m not sure. The only thing I can think of is that Clarke has been captured by the Romans or by the Mountain.” I honestly didn’t know which one was worse.</p><p>“What Mountain?”</p><p>“We, Romans have been fighting the mountain for more than 50 years. They’re virtually indestructible. We don’t even know who they are.”</p><p>“What do you mean by we don’t know who they are?”</p><p>“We call them Mountain men. We don’t know why they are hunting us. Romans have been disappearing. We find their bodies sometimes when we go on scouting missions into the forest.”</p><p>“Bodies?”</p><p>“Yes.” I sigh heavily. Why is the mountain part of this quest? Or maybe Clarke was captured by my people?<br/><br/>“Never had any survivors?”</p><p>“We do but they are all different. Their faces are mangled and they are so violent. They manage to kill some of our demigods too. We call them reapers.”</p><p>“So the Mountain also manages to turn them?” At my nod, Raven and Octavia exchange a look.</p><p>“So this is where Clarke is?”</p><p>“Maybe.”</p><p>“So now Aphrodite thinks that we need to go after Clarke to save her.” Octavia summarizes.</p><p>“So what? We’re just supposed to choose?”</p><p>“No.” I shake my head and they both stop bickering at the finality in my tone. “I am.”</p><p>Raven scoffs. “It maybe your prophecy but it’s our quest too.” Octavia nods in agreement.</p><p>“Don’t you get it? No matter what we choose, we’re going to fail anyways. That’s what the prophecy says.”</p><p>They’re dumbstruck.</p><p>“No. Prophecies are known to be twisted. They just confuse us but the solution is very simple.” Raven says.</p><p>“There’s nothing simple about this at all.” I snap. “I’m here with you Greeks while Clarke is with my people. I was the easier exchange. Clarke, for the lack of words, is screwed.”</p><p>“Don’t you think we know that?” Octavia shouts back vehemently.</p><p>“No you don’t. I was…am the Praetor. We Romans follow rules to a fault. Hell I enforce them. There’s a kill order for the Greeks. No negotiations. Nothing.”</p><p>“Lexa, we get it.” Raven starts. “But this is not getting us anywhere.”</p><p>I nod. So what the hell do we do?</p><p>“We can send an Iris message to someone at your camp.” Octavia speaks up suddenly.</p><p>I snort. They glare at me. “Sorry. But we don’t have a goddess for rainbows or messages.” Both of them slump at my declaration.</p><p>“But it’s worth a try nevertheless.” I finish.</p><p>“We need Hephaestus. We need to save him. Can you imagine what will happen when he doesn’t attend the summer counsel of the gods?” Octavia starts.</p><p>Raven looks helpless. “I know. But Clarke needs our help.”</p><p>“No she doesn’t. If she’s taken hostage by the mountain, she’s not coming back.” I say hardening my face. But my stomach drops even further.</p><p>Octavia is quick to fire up.</p><p>“No. She’ll make it. You don’t know about Clarke. She’s a kid of the Big Three. She’ll shadow travel or something.”</p><p>Shadow Travel. That’s never been tried before. And honestly even if it was how would we know? There were no survivors.</p><p>But I suppress the thought. I shake my head but Raven looks hopeful.</p><p>“Lexa, we agree with you that we should go ahead with the quest but for different reasons. Clarke will be alright.” Raven says.</p><p>I shake my head again. The Mountain or Romans? Which was worse.</p><p>“No you don’t understand. I lost someone already. To the Mountain. Years later I found her body. Just before coming here.”</p><p>Raven looks at me with sympathy but I shrug it off.</p><p>“Hope is the worst thing to have. Especially when it comes to the Mountain.”</p><p>“I thought you said she might be in the Roman camp.” Octavia looks confused.</p><p>I start to answer but Raven interrupts me. “Wherever Clarke is, it is not good. She’s in trouble either way.”</p><p>“We already agreed to go ahead with the quest. Didn’t we? We have different reasons. Let’s move on.”</p><p>Raven looks at me and I nod.</p><p>We’re going on with the quest knowing very well that this choice fails and triggers the greater threat. And I’m feeling uneasy.</p><p>-----------------</p><p>Before we leave the diner, we try to reach Clarke and Anya. Lincoln too. But the call doesn’t go through.</p><p>Octavia looks thoroughly put out.</p><p>“Octavia, we already knew this was going to happen. Romans cannot be contacted using Iris messages.”</p><p>She nods. “I know. I was just hoping that we would be able to call Clarke.” We tried immediately after we knew she disappeared but the call didn’t go through even then.</p><p>I merely stand next to her remaining silent.</p><p>“Do you think we should split up? And maybe one of us can go after Clarke.” She suggests.</p><p>I thought of it too. But who’d go? It has to be me. Otherwise if Clarke was actually captured by the Romans, she wouldn’t stand a chance if Raven or Octavia went. They’ll just be killed with her. If Clarke was captured by the Mountain there wasn’t anything any of us could do.</p><p>And I couldn’t go. I had a quest to complete and by the looks of it pretty important. I knew that it wasn’t the only reason. I hope that Clarke is able to hold her ground. Against my people. Against Anya and Titus.</p><p>I also knew there was no hope. The sane, logical part knew. I have to continue with this quest. I need to save Vulcan before 21<sup>st</sup> evening- tomorrow evening. Hardly 18 hours left.</p><p>“No we can’t. But once we finish this, we’ll fly to San Francisco.” I say and from the look on Octavia’s face I know she doesn’t like my idea but it’s the best we have right now. She nods. Raven looks pale but she nods in agreement too.</p><p>“We need a place to rest for the night.” Octavia says looking around. “There are a few motels around.”</p><p>“Just for the night. We’ll leave before sunrise.” Raven says before I can correct Octavia. Raven’s right. We need rest. I sigh and nod.</p><p>“Let’s go find a place to shack up for the night.” Raven grins. But it doesn’t reach her eyes. Octavia knows too. She nods grimly.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. “Yes. I’ll definitely take the 6 feet fall over a 12 feet one.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Less than half a day left for the Summer Solstice, Lexa, Raven and Octavia go about their quest.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s a chilly morning and the wind grows colder as we approach the glacier.</p>
<p>“How are we going to find where Hephaestus is in such a huge glacier?” Octavia asks.</p>
<p>“In my dream, it looked like he was being held captive in some room.  There were a lot of computers.” I say.</p>
<p>“I don’t understand how one can have electricity this far in the glacier. It has to be magic.” Raven ponders out loud.</p>
<p>“Is there any way you can track your father?” Octavia asks Raven. Raven shakes her head looking lost.</p>
<p>“None of our devices are working properly. Even if I tried to make one now which I can’t, there’s no assurance that it might work.”</p>
<p>“So what do we do now?” Octavia looks like she’s ready to search every single cave in the glacier. And yes, it looks like the only option we have right now.</p>
<p>“We go to every cave to find Vulcan.” I say as we start to make our way in search of caves big enough to host an immortal god, computers and of course enemies.</p>
<p>-----------------</p>
<p>“There’s an opening there. It looks big enough.” Raven points to one almost a mile away. It’s almost afternoon and we still haven’t had a trace of luck.</p>
<p>“There has to be a better way than to walk the entirety of the glacier.” Octavia groans.</p>
<p>We start making our way towards the cave. Slowly. The last thing we need is to fall through the glacier into the ocean. It’s summer and there are a lot more water bodies than ever.</p>
<p>I hear a whirring noise but I look above and don’t see anything flying. Wondering if it’s a sign from my dad to be careful, we start moving carefully towards the glacier.</p>
<p>There’s a sudden click and we all stop moving. It came from Octavia.</p>
<p>“Don’t move your foot!” Raven shrieks from my right. When I try to make my way to Octavia, Raven shrieks again.</p>
<p>“Don’t move! Both of you don’t move your feet. I think we might be on a mined place.” Landmines in a glacier?</p>
<p>“Toss me your sword Lexa!” She orders. She catches my scowl at being ordered around.</p>
<p>“Do you know how to navigate around land mines?” I shake my head. “Then shut your face and throw me your sword.” I comply and she catches it smoothly.</p>
<p>“Don’t need to be so surprised Woods. I know how to wield a sword. I haven’t been to camp for 7 years for nothing.”</p>
<p>She takes my sword and taps at a reachable distance. When she finds no mines there she takes a long step to that point. She’s slowly making her way towards Octavia.</p>
<p>I still cannot move without potentially blasting into a thousand pieces. Again I hear the whirring sound. This time Raven and Octavia both hear it too. Looking in the direction of the sound, I see something making its way towards us.</p>
<p>“Okay…what the hell is that?” Octavia shouts. As it comes nearer, I can see a hoard of robots.</p>
<p>“Are they robots?” Raven seems amazed but she sobers up immediately.</p>
<p>“I’m going to assume that they aren’t friendly robots.” I say and Octavia nods while Raven has almost reached her.</p>
<p>“Raven, is there any way I can move without drawing circles in the ground?” I ask anxiously. There are a lot of robots. Almost 15 of them.</p>
<p>“No. You don’t want to step on a landmine. And the best idea I got right now is to keep looking for them.”</p>
<p>Octavia starts fidgeting which earns her reprimand from Raven. “You idiot! Even the smallest of movements will activate the mine.”</p>
<p>Raven reaches Octavia and starts closely examining her foot. She crouches and starts to dig at the snow surrounding her foot. Meanwhile the robots have come very close and if we stand a chance against them, it’s only if we act immediately.</p>
<p>I summon winds as powerfully as possible and I’m swirling them. I still haven’t moved one bit. I manage to create a mini tornado and wind along with water sprays on our face.</p>
<p>“Lexa! I’m trying to work here. Take that away.” Raven shouts and the speed of the wind, even from this far away is strong enough to make Octavia sway dangerously.</p>
<p>I direct the tornado at the incoming robots but they barely seem to be disturbed. I summon even more winds and I throw it at them and I see a couple of robots take off into the tornado.</p>
<p>They are almost upon us. The winds are slowing them down but it doesn’t seem to be enough.</p>
<p>On to the next part of the plan I think as I summon lightning and it hits a robot right in the center of its head. Once the smoke vanishes I see busted wires and melted metal.</p>
<p>I hear Octavia shouting something but I can’t understand. Another bolt right in between another 2 and they’re down as well. There are another 3 closer to Raven and Octavia.</p>
<p>One second I’m standing in my place unmoving and the next second, I’m in the air above the robots approaching them. Slashing at them with my sword seems to merely scratch it, so I summon another lightning bolt and hit the robot with it.</p>
<p>A slash of my sword and it leaves a robot arm-less. Hitting it right between the joints seem to work and one more bolt and its left smoking.</p>
<p>A few seconds later, I’m in the middle of my tornado and I’m slashing left, right and center with occasional bolts.</p>
<p>I’m almost done with all the robots when a mine blows.</p>
<p>----------------</p>
<p>I summon a powerful gust of wind to keep the explosion controlled. As strong as my winds are it still throws Octavia and Raven into the air. Octavia releases her leg from the mine.</p>
<p>It all seems to move slowly for the next couple of seconds. I try to fly over to them as I try to summon yet another gust of wind for the second mine blast.</p>
<p>The wind seems to control some of the shrapnel from the bomb but the force knocks me the air out of me.</p>
<p>I try to reach them before they land on the ground and before they trigger yet another blast which I am sure I won’t be able to protect them from.</p>
<p>I manage to catch Octavia around her hip but I’m unable to catch Raven. Instinctively I summon another gush of wind, this one much stronger than the others. This throws Raven back the way we came- into the safer part.</p>
<p>The wind must have been really strong because Raven is still in the air- shouting. Obscene words I’m sure.</p>
<p>As I lift Octavia and myself up further, I summon another gust of wind to soften the landing for Raven. Nevertheless, the landing must be hard as she lands on her back with a thump.</p>
<p>I fly as fast as I can towards her with Octavia still holding on to me for her dear life. Octavia seems to have multiple cuts across her face, nothing serious. There’s a big piece still embedded in her arm and it’s bleeding profusely.</p>
<p>I drop Octavia softly on the ground as I make my way towards Raven. Octavia immediately falls on her back once I release her, panting.</p>
<p>“Raven!” I shake her and slap her multiple times. She’s closed her eyes and I inspect her body and find a much bigger shrapnel in her left calf.</p>
<p>“Raven! Look at me.” I slap her twice and I hear a meek groan.</p>
<p>“You could have dropped me much more softly, Woods.” She whispers. I laugh.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine all this happened within a matter of 3 seconds.</p>
<p>“The only good news is that we’re near.” Octavia says as I too collapse on my back. I lie down for a few seconds catching my breath when I remember that there was another robot left. I immediately stand up, sword raised. Somehow I managed to hold on to my sword. The one I gave Raven, I’m sure it is in pieces.</p>
<p>Octavia is right. There was no reason for robots to attack us except if we were close to our destination.</p>
<p>Making sure there are no more threats, I take out ambrosia from my backpack and give it to both Raven and Octavia. Raven slowly gets up to examine her leg. Octavia is up and walking towards Raven with shrapnel in hand. She pulled it out.</p>
<p>“You pulled it out?” I ask her incredulously. “What if it hit an artery or a bone?”</p>
<p>Octavia merely shrugs and says “It didn’t.”</p>
<p>“I think I’m going to pull out mine as well.” Raven says. Octavia nods still keeping pressure over her wound.</p>
<p>Raven eyes her leg gingerly and moves to pull it out. I stop her.</p>
<p>“Wait! Let me. I’ll do it.” I feel responsible for both their injuries. Had I been faster all this wouldn’t have happened.</p>
<p>At her nod, I tear her shredded part of the pant away. I see it’s a much bigger piece than what I previously thought. Before I pull it out, I hear the same whirring noise. I look up again and see a flying device.</p>
<p>Before I can even react to it, it fires something. I fall to the ground with a grunt. Luckily enough not on Raven.</p>
<p>Octavia throws her sword like a spear at the device but it simply dodges the blade and fires again.</p>
<p>Octavia grunts as she falls on the ground, avoiding a bullet but before the device can fire again, I summon a lightning bolt and hit it.</p>
<p>It falls to the ground immediately, a smoky mess.</p>
<p>It’s only then that I notice a burning sensation in my stomach. I touch the left part of my stomach and it comes bloody.</p>
<p>The burning spreads to my chest and I can hardly breathe. I must have fallen down because I can see the clear blue sky.</p>
<p>I blink once and when I open my eyes, I only see darkness.</p>
<p>-------------</p>
<p>I am standing in the middle of the Field of Mars. The Roman Camp. Home. I look to my right and see the Barracks. Romans in orange T-shirts make their way towards the Pomerian Line. The mood is very dull and sober.</p>
<p>Something doesn’t seem right in Camp Jupiter. Then as suddenly as I appeared here, 2 other figures land.</p>
<p>Both are blonde but one of them is wearing tattered clothes. The other blonde who I notice is unconscious is Clarke.</p>
<p>Shit! I make my way towards them but then the other blonde starts shouting. I realize with a start that it’s Anya.</p>
<p>My fear was coming true. Clarke was indeed in the Roman camp. Did Anya kill Clarke? But things took a bizarre turn.</p>
<p>“Oh Shit! Griffin, why the hell are you smoking?” She looks around with wild eyes. She looks at me but passes right through me and on to the next person as if I wasn’t there. Griffin? How does Anya know Clarke? What the hell is happening?</p>
<p>When I imagined them meeting, I definitely did not imagine Anya taking care of an unconscious Clarke. More importantly, why is Clarke smoking?</p>
<p>“Somebody give me ambrosia and nectar. Now.” She barks. No one seems to have nectar but a couple of the Romans nearby extend ambrosia.</p>
<p>She snatches it from their hand and stuffs it into Clarke’s mouth. She makes sure to push that piece of ambrosia right down Clarke’s throat.</p>
<p>It immediately seems to have an effect as the black smoke coming from Clarke stops and she moans albeit weakly.</p>
<p>“Clarke! Wake up!” Anya slaps her but Clarke doesn’t wake up. She moans something again but she’s still knocked out.</p>
<p>Did Clarke use shadow travel? Where did they both come from? For a minute, I can’t hope but think that they escaped from the mountain. But I erase that foolish thought. There would have been hundreds of campers before Clarke who could have escaped.</p>
<p>Wait. Did Clarke actually escape from the mountain with shadow travel? If so, where does Anya come into the picture?</p>
<p>Anya, who looks terribly pale and tired herself shouts to some other campers nearby and they hurry.</p>
<p>“Quick! Take her to Nyko now!” Anya barks at a few of them and they rush forward to help.</p>
<p>They carry Clarke and start making their way towards the healer’s room. Anya sighs and looks to the south.She sports a triumphant smile before following Clarke to Nyko’s.</p>
<p>-----------</p>
<p>I open my eyes and see the clear blue sky. The burning sensation has faded into a dull throb. I look around and see Octavia and Raven’s concerned faces up close.</p>
<p>“Come on Woods! We have a god to save.” Raven pulls me up by the arm and I get into a sitting position.</p>
<p>I look down at my stomach and I see that the bullet merely grazed at my skin. A mere graze from a bullet caused that much pain?</p>
<p>“I know what you’re wondering. It’s not a normal bullet. It’s made of celestial bronze.” Raven answers my thoughts. That still doesn’t seem to explain why I passed out because of a bullet graze.</p>
<p>I look at Raven and see that she has pulled out the shrapnel from her leg and has tied a T-shirt around it to stop the bleeding.</p>
<p>Raven follows my sight and merely shrugs. “It’s not bleeding anymore. Nectar does wonders.”</p>
<p>I look at Octavia. She’s hardly talking and is sporting an expressionless face.</p>
<p>“Octavia, are you alright?”  I ask her.</p>
<p>She turns to look at me and her face might have been expressionless but her eyes are burning. “These!” She points at the robot wreckage. “They’re not even living but it almost killed us all. Only thing we know is that Hephaestus is in that cave and is being held by some crazy robot loving asshole.”</p>
<p>I sigh and look at the cave we were previously making our way to before we were attacked. Meanwhile Raven seems to be picking at the wreckage. She’s muttering to herself holding that flying device in her hand.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?” Octavia asks Raven. She doesn’t reply for a few seconds but then she turns and says “I’m trying to recover something from this to know who we’re dealing with.”</p>
<p>“Yes, that would have been much easier if Lexa here hadn’t burnt everything to the ground using her bolts.” I turn my head so quickly, I swear I could hear a crack. But before I can say anything, Raven shouts. “If it weren’t for Lexa, both of us will be dead by now and eagles will be eating our guts out.”</p>
<p> Octavia looks ashamed immediately. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take this out on you. I’m just frustrated. I know you saved our lives.” She apologises.</p>
<p>I nod and accept her apology as I stand up. I know I should be more worried about our current situation, but I can’t help but wonder about what is happening to Clarke.</p>
<p>“You okay Lexa? You still look a little pale.” Octavia asks but I nod my head and give her a thumbs up.</p>
<p>Raven is still poking at the debris and muttering to herself.</p>
<p>“So now we need a plan. How are we going to get to the other side?” Octavia asks and I’m struck with an idea.</p>
<p>“We fly.” Both Raven and I say at the same time.</p>
<p>-----------</p>
<p>“When you said that we’ll fly and cross the mined area I did not expect to be tied to your side like this.” Octavia groans. Raven designed a strap so that even if I lose my grip on them, they wouldn’t fall to their deaths.</p>
<p>However, the only problem with this plan was me getting drained. Raven is on my right, Octavia is on my left and they are both tied at their centers to my center.</p>
<p>Raven fashioned some really long poking device with which she keeps poking the ground for mines. And whenever a mine goes off, I  summon winds to block the debris and at the same time lift us higher in the air.</p>
<p>I’m sweating profusely and I struggle to catch my breath. I couldn’t have any more ambrosia without burning myself. We’re almost near the cave when my vision starts to black out.</p>
<p>Carrying 2 grown women at my side, controlling the wind and not to mention my bullet wound don’t seem to be helping my condition.</p>
<p>I suddenly lose control of the wind and all of us drop a feet. Sudden screams from both my sides have my ears ringing as well.</p>
<p>“Lexa! Up. We’re very close to the ground.” Raven shouts. “We still haven’t crossed the mined area.”</p>
<p>And that’s when the next quadcopter came out. But before I can do more than react, there’s a sudden boom and the quadcopter falls to the ground broken and smoking. Raven holds something like a gun and her face is full of satisfaction.</p>
<p>“Gotcha bitches!” She grins and turns to look at us. Both I and Octavia smile back at her and I can’t help but wonder how resourceful Raven might be against the Mountain.</p>
<p>Raven shoots another couple of times and two more quadcopters fall down. Just when my body starts to burn from the exertion, we’ve almost reached the entrance of the cave.</p>
<p>“Raven, please check for mines. I honestly don’t think I can hold out any longer.” I grind out forcibly but I already can’t. I’m losing altitude.</p>
<p>“Lexa, drop us inside the cave. It will definitely will be safer.” Octavia says but my vision is almost dark. I blink furiously to keep the darkness out. My eyes burn from the occasional sweat droplets that fall into them.</p>
<p>The cave has a huge entrance. Almost 12 feet in height. I grunt as I try to keep us afloat. I’m almost into the cave when I completely lose control of the wind and fall face first into the snow.</p>
<p>-----------</p>
<p>“It’s a good thing she wasn’t able to fly any higher.” A voice says.</p>
<p>“Yes. I’ll definitely take the 6 feet fall over a 12 feet one.” Another says.</p>
<p>I groan and open my eyes. My nose is throbbing and when I touch it, it comes away bloody.</p>
<p>“Hey Woods. How are you feeling?” Octavia asks.</p>
<p>“Like my face got smashed in.” Raven grins and says “That’s because it was.”</p>
<p>I groan again and stand up. My entire body is sweaty and is throbbing. I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this before. Maybe it’s because of using my powers for a long time.</p>
<p>“We’re inside the cave?” I ask.</p>
<p>“Yes. Thanks to you. But no sign of anyone nearby. We have to go inside.” Octavia looks. There’s a long passage that goes even deeper.</p>
<p>Octavia leads while I bring up the rear. I’m still sweating but I can’t bring myself to eat another piece of ambrosia. It’s growing dark steadily and I wonder how much dark it can possibly get.</p>
<p>Octavia stops suddenly.</p>
<p>“What’s the hold up?” I shout from the back unable to see anything.</p>
<p>“There’s a fork. Which one should we take?” She asks.</p>
<p>“Right.” I say at the same time Raven says “Left.”</p>
<p>Raven turns to look at me. She sports a rather serious face. “I can feel it. I feel that my dad is there.”</p>
<p>I look at her for a couple of seconds. She might be walking to her death but she doesn’t look afraid at all. It’s been her all the time in this quest cracking jokes and keeping spirits up despite possibly her end waiting for her.</p>
<p>I nod at her and she turns back. “Left it is.” Octavia starts to walk down the path. The path seems to get darker and darker. I can’t even see Raven in front of me. My ears are tuned for any sounds but I hear nothing except for Octavia’s voice.</p>
<p>“This way. I think I see something.” She says.</p>
<p>It’s absolutely dark and I wonder how Octavia is even seeing and then I realize it’s me. I’ve gone blind.</p>
<p>“Guys?” I call them tentatively.</p>
<p>“What is it?” It’s Raven and I hear her voice from right in front of me.</p>
<p>“Can you see me?” I ask her. She’s silent for a few seconds before she asks “Why?” filled with worry.</p>
<p>“I can’t.” My voice breaks at the very end.</p>
<p>“What do you mean you can’t?” It’s Octavia’s voice now.</p>
<p>“I don’t know. I just assumed that there was no light anywhere here until now.” Shit. What the hell is happening to me?</p>
<p>My shirt is completely is drenched with sweat. There’s also a weird feeling in my stomach. I realize with a pang that it’s fear.</p>
<p>“Why is this happening?” I ask loudly. I can mentally imagine the glance that Raven and Octavia share.</p>
<p>“I’m sure it’s nothing. It’s probably just a side effect of using your powers for a while.” Raven says but she sounds unsure.</p>
<p>I’m sure something like this has never happened in all my 19 years of life and 12 years of training. Then something weird starts to happen.</p>
<p>It’s that weird feeling in my stomach I mistook for fear. It’s starts to burn and I feel like its spreading upwards slowly. My stomach, chest and throat burn and I don’t think I can take this anymore.</p>
<p>I double over in pain and fall to my knees. The sound I release is close to a groan and sob. It’s spreading and it’s near my mouth.</p>
<p>I hear footsteps and I hear Raven’s concerned voice “Lexa? What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>I can’t respond. There’s something in my throat and the pain is worse than ever. Then suddenly everything is silent and a few seconds later, someone is shaking me. I’m lying on my stomach.</p>
<p>“Shit! She’s seizing. What is happening?” It’s Octavia’s voice now. “She’s stopped.”</p>
<p>I feel someone turn me around and I’m lying on my back now. A hand touches my mouth.</p>
<p>“There’s something really wrong. It’s blood. She has blood in her mouth.” Raven says.</p>
<p>Someone gently slaps my cheek. “Lexa, open your eyes. Please.” My eyes aren’t open? I’m definitely not unconscious.</p>
<p>“She’s breathing and she’s got a pulse.” Octavia says.</p>
<p>“I wish Clarke was here.” I hear Raven’s overwhelmed voice. Clarke….</p>
<p>But before I can say anything else, there’s a loud clanging sound and then a clicking sound.</p>
<p>“I never expected the poison to work so quickly.” An alien voice says just as I start shaking again.</p>
<p>“No! No! Lexa.” Octavia shouts.</p>
<p>“Who the fuck are you?” Raven shouts at the owner of the voice.</p>
<p>“Ouch Raven. Is that the way you talk to your sister?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. “She was one of our praetors. Almost a 100 years ago.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Raven and Octavia confront the woman, try to save Lexa's life and find a way to rescue Hephaestus all while the summer solstice deadline looms over their heads. Octavia's POV.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The very last thing I wanted was to be the last one standing. Well, Raven was there standing next to me but she seemed to be too shocked to do anything but stare when that woman with the spectacles introduced herself as Raven’s sister.</p>
<p>This day couldn’t have started better for me. First, I step on a mine and then I watch my mouth wide open as Lexa, without moving from her spot, defeated an entire robot army by herself. The icing on top of the cake was a mine next to me blowing. One second I feel the force of the mine and the next second I am in Lexa’s arms.</p>
<p>Lexa looks rather unassuming at first but she’s one of the strongest demigods I have ever known and that’s saying something because I’ve been in camp almost all my life. She literally flew carrying us almost across an entire glacier. And now Lexa is lying almost dead, puking blood.</p>
<p>The woman walks closer to us and I can’t help but notice that she looks like a studious Raven; Raven was always more hands on rather than the nerd type. Her black hair is pulled into a neat ponytail and her dress is neat and ironed as if she’s not here to fight but to write an exam.</p>
<p>Then I see it. In the corner of the room, was a cage and inside it was Hephaestus. I also notice that there are robots of varying sizes all around the room standing guard. If my calculations were right, we had less than 3 hours for the summer council in Olympus to start.</p>
<p>Suddenly Lexa is seizing again. I try to turn her so that she doesn’t bite or swallow her tongue (perks of hanging around with Clarke- you tend to know certain stuff which I have to admit are useful) and she is still throwing up blood. She stops seizing again and I feel her pulse. It’s still there but she’s unconscious.</p>
<p>“What did you give her?” Raven shouts at her after overcoming her initial shock.</p>
<p>“A bit of poison coated bullet seems to do wonders.” The woman responds with a smile that makes me want to punch her face in. The bullet! Of course. Lexa was feeling low immediately after the bullet grazed her but we all mistook the effects because of the bullet’s celestial bronze nature.</p>
<p>I grab my sword and take a step forward when Raven catches my wrist. I look back at her and she shakes her head.</p>
<p>The woman gives a short bark of laughter. “I never really had patience for my cousins. Dumb and ready to run into battle without thinking.” After a pause, she adds “Just like their father.”</p>
<p>My blood boils and I take another step but I’m stopped this time by Raven’s more insistent pull. All I feel is a great urge to knock her out so that I can stop looking at that face.</p>
<p>“What do you want?” Raven asks with barely concealed anger. I get the feeling she’s controlling herself for me but I’m not dumb enough to charge into a heavily guarded place.</p>
<p>“The powering device.” She says.</p>
<p>“What? We don’t have a powering device.” I’m quick to say but when I turn to look at Raven for support, the look of recognition shocks me.</p>
<p>“Ah! So much anger is never good for one. And you prove me right again. No brains for the daughter of Ares.” She smirks at me and then turns to Raven.</p>
<p>Instead Raven merely says “You give us the antidote first.”</p>
<p>What powering device? And then it strikes me! The device we took from the harpy. When we were searching for the chip. The harpy’s warning plays again in my head, ‘you will fail to stop what matters most’. What was she talking about? Was she talking about Lexa? Lexa can’t die. There’s a sinking feeling at the bottom of my stomach. True, I’ve known her for less than a week but she’s something else. No wonder Clarke is so taken by her.</p>
<p>I remember the prophecy. <em>Child perishes at parent’s hand. </em>There’s no way I see Hephaestus killing Raven. So the prophecy must be referring to the woman who also apparently is the daughter of Hephaestus.</p>
<p>There’s a staring contest going on between the sisters when the woman cracks a smile and says “You realize there’s nothing stopping me from shooting you both dead right now and taking the device from your dead bodies.” Just as she says that 2 more quadcopters appear, flying behind her as if they are waiting for her signal to start shooting.</p>
<p>“You wouldn’t want to do that.” Raven smirks now. I don’t stop the confusion from showing on my face. What is Raven doing? Does she have some back-up plan? Raven turns to me and winks. Oh My God! She did not. She does not have a bomb in her bag!</p>
<p>Why would anyone have a bomb in their bag? For protection? The fuck is wrong with Raven! The woman does not miss the exchange we have. Raven slowly turns and looks at her.</p>
<p>“It just so happens that I have a bomb in my bag. Right next to your precious device. And the detonator is here.” She pulls a small switch from the tool kit that she wears around her hip. She presses the switch and doesn’t mover her finger. Did she have a bomb detonator around her hip? One friendly nudge to her hip and all of us would be demigod kebab. I shiver visibly thinking about that.</p>
<p>“So if you decide to shoot me, my reflex sets off the bomb. And you don’t get your device.” Raven continues as if absolutely nothing happened.</p>
<p>“How do I know that it’s real?” She asks and Raven raises her eyebrows. “You can just be bluffing for all I care.”</p>
<p>I can’t help but secretly hope that Raven is bluffing. But I know that the bomb she supposedly has is saving all of our lives.</p>
<p>There’s a stare down between the woman and Raven. “I swear on the River Styx that this a detonator of a bomb in my bag right now.” River Styx! Holy Ares! Raven was not bluffing. The woman also visibly pales when she hears this.</p>
<p>She narrows her eyes and then claps saying “Give me the antidote.” She claps her hand and a robot appears from the side with a vial of clear liquid. The woman takes it in her hand and motions to Raven.</p>
<p>“We exchange at the same time.” She says with a smile. Oh how I want to knock all her teeth out. I grit my teeth and watch as Raven slowly removes her backpack to get the device out. The moment she sees the device, her eyes glow brighter and she smiles even wider now with her teeth.</p>
<p>“No we don’t. You give me the antidote first. If it works, I’ll give it to you.” Raven says with an air of indifference but I know that she’s nervous. No one wants a live bomb strapped to their back but I know that's not what Raven's nervous about.</p>
<p>I look back at Lexa but she hasn’t seized in a while. I just have to hope that it’s good she hasn’t seized again. Then Raven looks at me and nods. I slowly step forward, sword poised for attack in my right hand and take the antidote from her hand slowly.</p>
<p>Just as I’m about to move towards Lexa, there’s a shout and a robot comes charging at me. I do not hear Raven’s shout of warning. I secure the vial around my left hand even more strongly and I duck the robot’s incoming sword. I step to the left smoothly and I see wires at the junction of the robot’s head and shoulders.</p>
<p>I twist my sword in my hand and bring my sword’s tip right at the robot’s neck. My sword goes all the way through rather smoothly. I was expecting it to be a little bit harder since the robot’s made of metal but no such issues.</p>
<p> “No! Stop! Don’t attack. Stand down.” The woman screams. The robots have all come closer and stand behind the woman but nothing else attacks. Once this robot falls down with a crash, I grab the device from Raven and bring my sword to the glass dome inside. I stop at the very edge of the dome. The woman needs to know that I’m not playing around.</p>
<p>Raven steps back, closer to the device, her hand still on the detonator. Raven takes the vial from me and moves back to Lexa.</p>
<p>“Good. Anyone of your lackeys comes forward and Octavia slashes it right off.” Raven says with a smirk. The woman looks like she’s going to pull her hair out.</p>
<p>“Don’t. I’ve been working on this for more than 70 years. Stop.” She says.</p>
<p>“What do you mean 70 years?” I say as I closely watch the woman and the robots for any movement as Raven pours the vial’s contents down Lexa’s throat.</p>
<p>A few anxious seconds later, Lexa opens her eyes and sits up. She coughs out blood and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. She still looks totally tired and I know that the poison was inside her for a while but I can’t not hope that she’s going to be totally normal and powerful. We are still going to need her to get ourselves out of this mess.</p>
<p>Raven supports Lexa as she gets up and Lexa blinks a couple of times, no doubt her eyes adjusting to the lights in this place. Then she sees the woman.</p>
<p>“Becca Franco?” Lexa asks with complete and utter astonishment. The woman looks surprised that Lexa recognizes her.</p>
<p>“What? How do you know her?” Raven asks her.</p>
<p>“She was one of our praetors. Almost a 100 years ago.” Did Lexa just say 100 years? “She was the praetor when the massacre occurred. When the Greeks came into our camp and killed Romans.”</p>
<p>Lexa had told us the entire history behind the Romans and the Greeks. There was only one explanation for Becca still looking like a middle aged woman. She was a god.</p>
<p>“That’s right. 25 of my people were killed while you scum” Becca says pointing at me and Raven, “escaped like the cowards you are.” As if I killed them ages ago.</p>
<p>“I left my post and searched all corners of the earth for those Greeks who killed my family.” Her voice cracks but she continues. “But no clues about them, none.” She points at her triumphantly.</p>
<p>“The Romans had disgraced me and my name saying that I was weak to let the Greeks get away with it. That I didn’t search hard enough for them. The people I was fighting for did not let me back into camp. There was a kill order out for me.” She points at Lexa. “I’m sure you already know about all this. Don’t you? You Romans keep detailed information about all the previous praetors.” I can’t help but notice that Becca doesn’t refer to herself as a Roman.</p>
<p>At Lexa’s silence, years and years of agitation and rage, I’m sure, pours out as words. She wears a maddening look and she looks intimidating.   </p>
<p>“I realized, I had to become a god. Minor one ,however, yes. No one knew about me, not even the Romans. Then I found them. The Greeks who had murdered my family. And they were serving their punishment.” Becca laughs but it’s cold and it makes my hair stand. “Near the Roman Camp in the mountains.” Lexa gasps and sports a shocked look.</p>
<p>“Yes. Yes. That was precisely my reaction.” About what? What does her device have to do with the Romans? From the look on Raven’s face, I knew she understood as well.</p>
<p>“Those Greeks were punished by Gods by making them stay in the mountains. Forever. If anyone attempts to leave, a curse boils their skin alive till they go back into the mountain. All for what? Their punishment was that they were to stay near the Roman camp for all of eternity watching as New Rome flourished.”</p>
<p>From the look on Lexa’s face, I gather that it’s a great betrayal of the Roman culture and its ways. Apparently from Becca’s story and Lexa’s reaction, punishing them to live for all of eternity in one place wasn’t enough.</p>
<p>Then it clicks. Becca’s mountain and Lexa’s mountain are the same. The place where Lexa suspects Clarke might be.</p>
<p>“I was all ready to march inside the mountain and kill them but then the Greeks told me what happened.” Becca inhales and exhales sharply. “The Gods did.”</p>
<p>The Gods asked the Greeks to go murder the Romans? She’s fucking kidding right? No way in hell she actually believed those murderers when they said this.</p>
<p>The disbelief and skepticism must show on our face because she’s shaking her head as if she expected the very same reaction.</p>
<p>“Of course I had the very same reaction. I checked their memories. They were telling the truth.” Checked their memories? What is she? Some kind of memory reading minor god?</p>
<p>I look at Raven and she’s also sporting a look of complete astonishment. I’m very sure there is no God specifically for mind reading seeing that all gods can do that normally.</p>
<p>Then it strikes me. Technology. Robots, bullet firing quadcopters and computers running on power this far into the glacier. She’s a god of technology?</p>
<p>“Their personality split caused all these problems. I spent years outside trying to find the culprit when it turns out that the real reason for all these problems was them.” She snarls and points a finger at the corner- at her dad, Hephaestus.</p>
<p>“They were unable to keep the divide between their Roman and Greek sides within themselves so they decided to do something like this. Wondered why the punishment for murder of a dozen Romans was confinement for all of eternity and not death? Because they knew. That is was their fault.”</p>
<p>Okay, this news is entirely twisted. 100 years of enmity between the Romans and the Greeks, which I admittedly did not know about until a day ago, was because of a personality disorder in Gods? And just like every other time, us, their children are suffering because of it.</p>
<p>But what is her endgame? What is she trying to achieve by capturing her dad?</p>
<p>“So when you realized who the actual culprits, you started to work with the Mountain against your family? The Romans?” Lexa asks but I can see that her strength is gradually returning.</p>
<p>Becca scoffs. “Family? I was cast off, not allowed to enter the camp again. Banished with a kill order on sight if I was ever seen again. Why? Because I trusted the Gods enough to let the Greeks into my camp?”</p>
<p>“What now? You’re working against Gods now? Killing Romans by working with the Mountain?” Lexa growls.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Becca replies simply with a smile. But it doesn’t reach her eyes. Her eyes still look cold and calculating.</p>
<p>“The Mountain is killing Romans. Turning them into creatures who cannot be identified. Who have to be put down for mercy. We are losing family too. Just like you did.” Lexa’s voice breaks at the end but she’s standing straight without Raven’s help. She’s getting stronger but not quick enough.</p>
<p>Becca stops smiling and she looks downright scary. I look at Raven and we share the same thought. We have to leave before Becca pulls some other trick on us. We have to rescue Hephaestus and leave this place immediately.</p>
<p>“So why kidnap dad? Because he knew about your plans for ultimate domination?” Raven asks trying to break the furious glares being exchanged between Lexa and Becca.</p>
<p>Becca looks at Raven for a couple of seconds with a dumbfounded expression and then bursts into laughter.</p>
<p>I must have mentioned about how scary Becca looked before? Scratch all that. This laughter takes the win. I’m rooted to the spot and the hair on my arms stands upright and I shiver.</p>
<p>Lexa’s furious expression breaks and is replaced by her mask. She looks at me and nods.</p>
<p>“Ultimate domination? I was wrong about you having brains, Raven. I’m merely a pawn in a much bigger plan.” She says happily as if she doesn’t mind being a pawn.</p>
<p>“Look, I don’t care about this shit. Let Hephaestus go now. Or I cut into your precious device.” At her continued smile, I shout again “Now!”</p>
<p>She looks at me for a few seconds before she smiles even wider. “Dear brainless demigods, while you were busy listening to my story, I have finished installing the device on my system. The update is completed. You can do me a favor and destroy it for me.”</p>
<p>We have a couple of seconds to exchange shocked looks when Becca releases her robots on us.</p>
<p>----------</p>
<p>Raven grabs something that looks like a hammer from her tool belt and throws it at the quadcopter. The hammer hits the quadcopter on one of its rotors and falls down. It still hasn’t stopped shooting.</p>
<p>With more than two dozen robots around the three of us, it seems almost impossible for the quadcopters to take aim properly but there are still chances of being hit by a stray bullet.</p>
<p>Raven tries to move towards the fallen quadcopter but she is surrounded by three more robots. Lexa is fighting off robots albeit weakly. I look at Lexa and she shouts at me “Go to her! I got this.”</p>
<p>I behead one robot and get down on my knees to cut the legs of another robot. When it falls down, I stab it right in its face.</p>
<p>Just before the robots started to attack us, Raven shouted at me to grab the device I had threatened Becca with. I was about to destroy it. Why does Raven need it now?</p>
<p>One of the robots cornering Raven grows a sword out of its arm as I see in slow motion. She sees it coming, dodges and smartly hits the robot at its neck where the wires are exposed with her dagger.</p>
<p>I reach Raven just as the other two robots start to grow swords. I bring my sword hard on one of the robot’s sword and it breaks into two. I bring my sword down at the other robot’s neck while I kick the robot with the broken sword away from us.</p>
<p>My leg vibrates and throbs painfully with the force of my kick. It’s metal. This reaction is to be expected.</p>
<p>“I need to reach the quadcopter.” Raven says to me with wide eyes. I can see that she has some sort of plan. I nod and say “Watch my back.”</p>
<p>Another couple of robots are approaching us and we duck the hail of bullets coming from another quadcopter by crouching. I borrow Raven’s dagger and throw it at the quadcopter with dead accuracy. It hits one of the rotors and it goes down still raining bullets.</p>
<p>“Good one O!” Raven shouts but it reaches my ears garbled. As if I’m underwater. I’ve already reached my next robot. I duck and avoid its sword as I easily repeat the process of cutting its leg and then stabbing it in its face.</p>
<p>I slash my sword a couple more times at robots while Raven reaches the quadcopter she brought down. She crouches down and starts meddling with the controls. I stand guard as more robots approach us.</p>
<p>When another quadcopter approaches us, I have no other choice but to throw my sword at it. Unlike the previous time, when Lexa got hit by the bullet, my sword finds the quadcopter’s control and the quadcopter falls down uselessly.</p>
<p>The disadvantage however was being sword less against 2 advancing robots. They both already have their swords out and are heading for us. I start running towards them and before they can react, I launch myself in the air. My legs hit the center metallic part of one robot and it falls down with a crash.</p>
<p>I fall on my back and another robot tries to impale me with its sword right on my face but I roll away just in time and kick at the sword. It doesn’t break but the robot loses its balance. I get up and before it has any time to come at me again, I run and climb on its shoulder.</p>
<p>The robot tries to awkwardly reach me with its arms but I reach into its neck and pull at a bunch of wires. Sparks fly and the robot falls with a thud. I land on the back of the robot smoothly and look around for trouble.</p>
<p>When I see Lexa, I’m immediately concerned. She’s fighting off 5 robots at the same time. But each and every hit and parry is weakening her greatly. She keeps retreating back in an effort to control them but she’s losing.</p>
<p>I turn back and look at Raven and she’s working furiously on the quadcopter. “Raven, do you need me?” I shout. She doesn’t look up. She knows I wouldn’t leave her side unless it’s absolutely necessary. I don’t see Becca anywhere but I push that thought away. Not now.</p>
<p>“Go!” She shouts back. I look around for my sword but I don’t seem to find it anywhere. Instead I grab one of the robot’s sword that I had cut and take off at a run towards Lexa.</p>
<p>I jump on one of the robot’s back and I use the broken sword piece in my hand to stick it in the neck of the adjacent robot. I move it smoothly once the sword enters the robot’s neck and I feel it cut the wires.</p>
<p>I let go of the broken sword as the robot crashes while I use my other hand and try to wiggle my fingers into the robot’s neck. I find a couple of wires and pull at them promptly and I feel sparks in my hand. But instead of falling down like the other robot did, this robot shakes me off its back.</p>
<p>I land with a thud and the air leaves my body as the robot approaches. I scramble back and look for something. ‘I should have held on to that sword’ I mentally berate myself as I keep looking around. I see Lexa bring down 2 robots from the corner of my eye.</p>
<p>I swipe my leg at the robot’s leg to attempt to bring the robot down. There’s a sharp pain from my right leg that could only mean one thing. It’s broken. Then suddenly, the robot stops moving and abruptly falls on me.</p>
<p>---------</p>
<p>“I wish you’d given me a warning, Lexa.” I groan as half my body is trapped beneath the robot. Lexa threw the sword at the robot’s neck. Good thing it went down properly this time.</p>
<p>“Thanks.” I say to her when she comes near me to help me from under the robot’s wreckage.</p>
<p>Lexa is very pale. Her face is completely wet with sweat and when she pulls me out, I feel her hands shake.</p>
<p>I groan as my leg throbs and I sit up in an awkward position grabbing my right leg.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” I ask Lexa. She breathes out heavily and replies “I will be.” I can still see that she’s very upset with the turn of events.</p>
<p>Not only finding out that the Mountain, which the Romans have been fighting for more than half a century are actually Greeks from 100 years before who killed Romans causing the feud between the Greeks and Romans but also that the praetor who was alive during the Greek attack is actually helping those very same people who caused her to be banished from the Roman camp.</p>
<p>It’s so confusing, it’s taking me few minutes to wrap my mind around it. I can’t believe how it must be for Lexa.</p>
<p>“O! Lexa! I need your help.” Raven shouts. Lexa immediately rushes to her side to battle the robots who are still attacking us.</p>
<p>I see my bag and I crawl towards it. A couple of pieces of ambrosia should help with my feet. I’m popping a couple into my mouth when Lexa is finally done with the last of the robots.</p>
<p>She falls to her knees panting heavily while Raven still keeps tinkering with the quadcopter. What could she possibly doing for such a long time?</p>
<p>I slowly feel my ankle healing when Becca appears. Lexa and Raven both notice and stand up. Raven even abandons the quadcopter and removes another hammer from her tool kit. I limp slowly still sword less and join the two of them.</p>
<p>“Give it up Becca! We’ve won. We defeated your entire army.” I say. Becca is standing between us and the cage which is holding Hephaestus.</p>
<p>Now that the robots surrounding his cage are no longer there, we are able to see him. He sports a very anxious face. In all this mess, I forgot to keep a track of time. It must be close to 3. Keeping track of the Eastern Time, we might have less than a couple of hours for the council of the gods to start.</p>
<p>“Entire army? What do you make me out to be? A fool? My purpose for calling you here was achieved. That stupid harpy on his orders” Becca points at her dad, “stole my device from me and you got it back for me. I was able to complete my upload. The next part of my plan is in motion. I have won.” Becca says. She removes her glasses and unsheathes her sword from her back.</p>
<p>“I might be a God of Artificial Intelligence but I was the praetor of the Roman camp long before your grandparents were even born.” Becca says and charges at us.</p>
<p>---------</p>
<p>Knowing Lexa, I was sure Becca would be a formidable opponent with two normal legs but my right leg is just starting to heal. And Lexa, well she looks exhausted. But she sports a determined look as Becca charges us.</p>
<p>Raven falls back and starts meddling with the fallen quadcopter. I just hope whatever it is that she’s doing helps us. She’s muttering “Almost there. Come on you piece of shit.”</p>
<p>It’s heartening to hear that but no time to think about anything else. Becca jumps with her sword held right above her head aiming for my neck. Before I can move away, Lexa’s sword stops Becca’s sword with a force that resonates everywhere. Becca kicks Lexa right in her chest and she falls back.</p>
<p>I crouch down charge and hit Becca with my shoulders right in her abdomen. I feel the breadth leaving her body as I tackle her and both of us fall with a thud.</p>
<p>I straddle her quickly and hit her temple with my fist when the flat part of her sword hits my left temple. I fall sideways seeing stars. I black out for a couple of seconds when my head hits the floor.</p>
<p>My top half is sprawled on the floor but my legs are still on either side of her middle. I hear someone scream my name but I before I can react, Becca is standing up pushing my legs away from her body.</p>
<p>Before she can reach her full height, I hit her shin with my good feet. She doesn’t see that coming and she’s taken entirely by surprise. My punch must have disoriented her. She bends down to regain her balance when I kick her face with my other foot. My broken one. There’s a sharp pain in the same foot again and I know it broke again.</p>
<p>There’s a crunch and I know that I caught her nose and mouth with my foot. She stumbles back and brings both her hands to her face. Before I can get up which I know I won’t be able to, Lexa steps from behind and brings her sword around and points it at Becca’s throat. Ichor, blood of gods flows down Becca’s face.</p>
<p>Just then, Raven shouts “Yes, I did.” She throws both her hands in the air grinning. “I did it. I’m in. I can open the cage. Fucking finally.”  Raven runs to the nearest computer grinning.</p>
<p>“One move and I slice your throat.” Lexa growls from behind Becca.</p>
<p>I fall back and lie on my back. I bring my hand to my head and I feel a big bump forming. It’s still throbbing but my feet is paining more than ever.</p>
<p>There’s a hissing sound from the cage and the door opens. Hephaestus steps out and Becca has a very anxious expression on her face. More like scared. Raven’s dad looks supremely pissed.</p>
<p>He’s glaring heavily at Becca but breaks the stare and looks at Raven. He smiles suddenly and says “Good work, my child. That was no mean feat.” Raven smiles bashfully. I remind myself to talk to Raven about her unhealthy obsession with bombs.</p>
<p>She almost whispers “Thanks Dad.”</p>
<p>No one sees the next few seconds coming at all. Becca throws her head back and I hear a sickening crunch. Lexa’s nose breaking. Becca throws her sword like a javelin before she carefully avoids Lexa’s sword at her throat.</p>
<p>Lexa is taken completely by surprise. She only takes a couple of seconds to adjust but that’s enough for Becca. Becca ducks Lexa’s sword and she rises again. She brings an elbow to Lexa’s head and she crumples like a puppet whose strings were cut.</p>
<p>Someone is shouting the entire time and I realise with a start that it’s me. I’m already up and hobbling towards them. But I’m slow.</p>
<p>Becca runs straight at her dad, Hephaestus. Just before they clash, I see Raven. Pale and stunned with a sword, Becca’s sword, going through her abdomen.</p>
<p>-------------</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I think the story line is getting clearer. What do you think?</p>
<p>Let me know :) :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. “You mean demigods have kids?”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Continuation of the quest. And we see what has happened to Clarke. Octavia's POV.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I rewind whatever happened. Becca threw her sword at Hephaestus. Not at Raven. But there Raven is still standing upright, no doubt because of shock, when there is a 3 foot long sword in her abdomen.</p>
<p>Then I realize. It’s not Becca’s sword in Raven’s abdomen. It’s a part of it. When Becca threw her sword at Hephaestus, the sword broke when it hit him. A small part of the sword impaled Raven. And that was large enough.</p>
<p>Crimson starts to spread on Raven’s T-shirt as she finally collapses. And I’m still hobbling towards her. I know from grunts and shouts that Becca and Hephaestus are fighting but all I can look at is Raven.</p>
<p>The super annoying, pain in the ass girl but with the kind brown eyes who befriended me. Who looked past my outer facade and chose to be friends with me.</p>
<p>Tears are running down my face and I’m almost near her. Pain shoots from my ankle but I ignore it and run as fast as I can.</p>
<p>With annoying clarity, the second line of the prophecy plays in my head. <em>Child perishes at parent’s hand. </em>The blade was from Hephaestus’s body. It’s Raven. Raven is in the prophecy and she’s going to die.</p>
<p>No no, she can’t die. We have plans. This fall. I was supposed to go to her university.</p>
<p>I’ve almost reached her when something slams into me. I’m thrown to the side and I hit my head hard on the ground. I see stars for a moment and then I blink them out.</p>
<p>I’m lying on the ground unable to move when the blackness slowly starts to fill my vision. I blink furiously trying to keep it out. I see the pool of blood under Raven spreading slowly.</p>
<p>I can’t let her die. I prop myself on my elbows. I still don’t know what hit me. All I care about is Raven. Nausea swirls in my stomach as I drag myself across the floor. The part of my head which hits the floor throbs agonizingly. Tell-tale signs of concussion. Thanks to Clarke.</p>
<p>What would Clarke do now? Stop the bleeding yes. And then get some ambrosia and nectar.</p>
<p>There’s a very disturbing crack from behind but I’ve almost reached Raven. She’s panting heavily. She turns her head from the floor and looks at me.</p>
<p>“O! Your head. You’re bleeding.” She croaks out.</p>
<p>“Shut up.” I reach her abdomen and press my hands over her hands around the sword trying to stop the bleeding. The blade is still inside her stomach but I do not want to pull it out. Clarke most certainly wouldn’t.</p>
<p>“I’m fine.” But she isn’t. She’s losing a lot of blood. At an alarming rate.</p>
<p>My vision turns black suddenly and comes back to normal. Nausea is getting worse and my head is paining more than ever. I try to stop the groan that comes out involuntarily.</p>
<p>“We should have brought Clarke along huh? She’s going to come storming to the underworld to kill me again when she finds out I died.” Raven snorts but there’s a stronger gush of blood coming from her wound. She moans softly.</p>
<p>“Shut up. Don’t move.” I say trying to stop the bleeding with my hands. “We need to stop the bleeding.” I say.</p>
<p>“O!” She whispers but I don’t look at her. Afraid of what I might see in her eyes. “Octavia!” She says more loudly.</p>
<p>I look at her face. I see resignation in her eyes. She’s given up. But I’m not ready.</p>
<p>“No! No you’re not saying goodbye.” My voice cracks at the very end and I can’t stop tears from falling.</p>
<p>There’s shuffling of feet nearby and someone’s approaching us. There’s a sharp intake of breadth and a whisper that I don’t catch.</p>
<p>It’s Lexa. How is she awake again?</p>
<p>I twist my body without moving my hands and see that Hephaestus is standing behind me. I see Becca’s body further behind. Unmoving.</p>
<p>Lexa kneels down on Raven’s other side and looks at the wound. She looks back up at Raven’s dad and says “Can’t you do something?”</p>
<p>Oh yes! Why didn’t I think of this before? I turn back to look at him hopefully. But his face extinguishes any hope I had.</p>
<p>“I cannot interfere with the fates of my children.” He says with complete resignation in his tone.</p>
<p>I am about to lose it but Lexa beats me to it.</p>
<p>“Your daughter is dying but you won’t do anything? But you needed her help to escape.” Lexa shouts.</p>
<p>“Careful, Daughter of Jupiter.” He warns Lexa. “I cannot interfere with fate. What is destined by fates will happen.” He says. A load of bullshit.</p>
<p>The god of Fire and forges, the son of Zeus and Hera can’t help his dying child? Then it strikes me. Fire. Cauterize the wound.</p>
<p>“We should cauterize the wound. At least till we can find help.” Lexa looks up extremely surprised. What? I also happen to have brains.</p>
<p>“Lexa, give your sword to Hephaestus.” I’m still not able to remove my hands from Raven’s abdomen. “I know you said you won’t interfere directly with Raven but you can heat the sword.” I look at Hephaestus.</p>
<p>He looks at me for a second before beaming. “Well done, Daughter of Ares.” His hands immediately have flames and he’s heating the sword.</p>
<p>“Raven…” I start.</p>
<p>“Shhh…I know.” Raven whispers. She looks scared but then scrunches up her face in determination.</p>
<p>I slowly remove my hands from Raven’s wound and lift up her T-Shirt. I slowly pull out Becca’s sword hoping that she doesn’t feel much. She groans slightly. Lexa takes Raven’s hand with her free arm. Raven looks gratefully at her and Lexa nods at her.</p>
<p>I hold Raven down by her shoulder as I watch Lexa wordlessly take the sword from Hephaestus. She slowly takes the sword and presses it to Raven’s stomach.</p>
<p>Raven’s screams echoes around the room. She tries to move away but I’m holding her in place. Steam rises from her stomach and the smell of burning flesh makes me want to throw up. After a while she stops screaming. She’s just sobbing quietly.</p>
<p>Lexa gets up and goes somewhere but Hephaestus is still standing next to me. She comes back and gives Raven and me each a piece of ambrosia.</p>
<p>The dizzy vision and the head pain reduces drastically as I keep chewing the ambrosia. Raven must feel better because she’s stopped sobbing. I look at Lexa to thank her and I’m taken aback by the way she looks.</p>
<p>She looks very very pale. She’s still sweating profusely apparent from the sweat glistening on her face. Her nose is still bleeding and a cut on her head is also bleeding. She looks ready to fall down and sleep for 24 hours straight. Did the antidote even work? Despite all this her eyes are very sharp and determined.</p>
<p>I look at her and murmur a “Thanks.” Lexa looks at me and gives a short but genuine smile.</p>
<p>“Becca’s dead?” Lexa asks Hephaestus. At his nod, she asks “Why did you kill her? We still don’t know what she was up to.”</p>
<p>“You think she would have told you her plan?” He.</p>
<p>“Probably not. But now we’ll don’t know what the bigger plan is.”</p>
<p>“You will. I will.”</p>
<p>“What about the prophecy?” I ask him.</p>
<p>“What about it?”</p>
<p>“There are still some parts of the prophecy that don’t make sense.” Lexa says.</p>
<p>“I’m not supposed to help you figure the prophecy. What needs to happen will happen.” Stupid gods and their cryptic talk. But looks like Hephaestus himself has no clue about the last line of the prophecy, <em>As a bigger threat evolves</em>. But again he could just be not answering our questions.</p>
<p>“I have to get going. Explain to the council why my daughter decided to go rogue. Not that I think they know.” Hephaestus says with a sigh.</p>
<p>“But it is my duty to tell you this that Clarke is in danger. She needs you.” He looks at Lexa. I didn’t realize a person can become even paler but Lexa proves me wrong.</p>
<p>“What danger? The Mountain or Romans?” Lexa asks but she looks like she already knows who the danger to Clarke is.</p>
<p>“I think you know who.” Hephaestus smiles sadly.</p>
<p>“Wait!” Lexa calls out as he turns. “Do you think you can drop us back at camp?”</p>
<p>---------</p>
<p>Hephaestus strides into the throne room. Immediately all the conversations stop as all eyes watch Hephaestus walk and kneel in front of Zeus.</p>
<p>“Rise, my son.” Zeus booms out. Hephaestus rises and gives a courtesy nod to Hera. He then turns, walks to his throne and then takes his seat. Hades was missing from his throne like always. He is only invited during the Winter Solstice to Olympus.</p>
<p>“Do you care to explain to all of us why you were late?” Ares says lazily.</p>
<p>“Patience, brother.” Hephaestus says and recounts the events of the past 3 days.</p>
<p>“That’s preposterous. How does a minor god plan to depose all of us?” Ares says immediately with a smirk. However everyone knows he is silently pleased about a probable war.</p>
<p>“How did she become a minor god?” Athena interrupts Hephaestus’s answer.</p>
<p>“It was the early 2010s. When I was having a problem with my device, she helped me out. In gratitude, I made her a god.”</p>
<p>“A device? You made her a god for fixing a device?” Athena repeats incredulously.</p>
<p>“I refuse to mention what the device is but yes it was a rather huge help.”</p>
<p>“She’s Roman?” Demeter interrupts. Hephaestus nods.</p>
<p>“Did you know that she was the praetor of the camp when a few Greeks attacked the Roman camp?” Poseidon asks.</p>
<p>“Yes. But she was banned from entering the Roman camp as you all know.” He says darkly.</p>
<p>Numerous conversations break out immediately and everyone is silenced by Zeus’s “Silence!”</p>
<p>“What are you implying Hephaestus?” Zeus roars. There’s lightening outside and the air suddenly smells like ozone.</p>
<p>“The past is the past. Nothing can be changed.” Athena says before any fights can start. Ares glares at her from his seat but she doesn’t even pay heed to him.</p>
<p>“A minor god of technology?” Poseidon asks getting the discussion back on track.</p>
<p>“Not exactly. Artificial Intelligence.” Everybody else nods as if they all understand what it means.</p>
<p>“Why did she kidnap my son?” Hera asks with concern that most certainly was fake.</p>
<p>“She’s working with the punished Greeks in the mountain near the Roman camp.” There’s a moment of silence before confused arguments start again.</p>
<p>From somewhere Ares starts chanting “War!”</p>
<p>Zeus is very surprised himself and from the look on his face, it looks like he’s fighting from shifting into Jupiter.</p>
<p>Athena herself takes some time to regain control before she shouts “Stop!”</p>
<p>The internal battle within the gods seems to stop momentarily and they return to their Greek selves.</p>
<p>“This is not the time to start this again. We all remember what happened when we last lost control. The only way we regain control is if the two camps are reunited again.”</p>
<p>“My hunters are a mix of both. I’ve simply never had this problem ever.” Artemis says.</p>
<p>Athena glares at her and continues “That is not the main agenda. Hephaestus was telling something far more important. What happened to this Becca?”</p>
<p>“She’s dead.” Hephaestus says simply.</p>
<p>“Dead?” At Hephaestus’s nod, Zeus asks “Why did you kill her?”</p>
<p>At that Hephaestus pointedly looks at Apollo. Zeus looks at Apollo expectantly. He suddenly realises that he’s expected to say something.</p>
<p>Artemis, next to her twin, shakes her head.</p>
<p>“Well to be fair, the prophecy only referred to the death of a child of Fire. You had two choices and you chose to kill Becca.” Apollo answers with a grin.</p>
<p>“And that’s a choice I will back any day. Raven is important.” Zeus merely shakes his head.</p>
<p>“Is this a problem still or has it been solved?” Zeus asks with an extremely bored tone.</p>
<p>“It is a problem still because Becca has found a way to immortalize herself. Using technology.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean? Didn’t you say you killed her?” Poseidon asks.</p>
<p>Hephaestus sighs. This is going to be tough to explain. “She is dead physically yes but not before she uploaded herself into the cloud.”   </p>
<p>Zeus frowns. “Cloud? As in sky?”</p>
<p>Hermes has to visibly hide his smile as Hephaestus says “No, Father. The internet.”</p>
<p>“She is technically still alive so the problem is not done. She has combined forces with the Greeks in the mountain and with some other force to overpower us.” He announces gravely.</p>
<p>“Who?” Artemis asks to which Hephaestus replies with a shake of his head.</p>
<p>There’s a couple of minutes of silence which Apollo breaks. “So what’s the plan?”</p>
<p>Everybody expectantly looks at Hephaestus.</p>
<p>“I was a part of a quest. More like the reason for the quest. I do not know how we should proceed but I do know that one Roman was working along with 2 Greeks.” He replies with a shrug.</p>
<p>“How so?” Athena asks.</p>
<p>“That would be me.” Aphrodite speaks up for the first time since the start of the meeting. “Well, they have an epic journey ahead of them.”</p>
<p>Athena snorts loudly just as Apollo asks “Who?”</p>
<p>“Lexa Woods and Clarke Griffin.”</p>
<p>Athena snorts again loudly. Aphrodite turns and looks at Athena with a mildly amused expression.</p>
<p>“Well, what does this have to do with the conversation here?” Athena asks barely controlling herself.</p>
<p>“I wiped Lexa Wood’s memory and sent her to the Greek camp. Did almost the same thing for Clarke Griffin but with her memory intact.”</p>
<p>“Did you say Clarke Griffin?” Dionysus asks suddenly. At Aphrodite’s nod, he says “I know him. He goes to the camp.”</p>
<p>“She. <em>She </em>goes to your camp.” Aphrodite says smiling widely.</p>
<p>“You did this why?” Zeus asks now clearly stumped.</p>
<p>“I told you. Epic love story. People will talk about their love for generations.” She replies dreamily.</p>
<p>Athena looks like she’s about to say something when Poseidon interrupts.</p>
<p>“Why did Lexa Woods receive this prophecy?” He asks Apollo.</p>
<p>“Honestly I have no idea. None.” Apollo replies with a grin.</p>
<p>“So what is the purpose of this summit?” Zeus asks barely reigning in his temper.</p>
<p>“To tell you that one way or another war is coming. Someone is coming to overthrow Olympus. And we have to be ready.” Hephaestus says calmly. “They have started their preparations. It’s time we get ready too.”</p>
<p>------------</p>
<p>There’s a violent lurch and suddenly I feel sunlight on my face. Being in the cold for almost an entire day, the Californian wind calms me down. Raven has one hand over Lexa’s shoulder for support but with the way Lexa looks I’m not sure who’s leaning on who for support. Hephaestus dropped us on top of a hill which overlooks a vast field.</p>
<p>There are lines and lines of beautiful buildings but the one that stands out by far is the coliseum. The entire valley looks beautiful. The Roman camp is beautiful but Camp-Half Blood will take the win. I’m sure.</p>
<p>I look behind and see a rather dense forest. I look at Lexa who is also looking in the general direction of the forest with a wistful expression.</p>
<p>I sheath my sword and adjust my backpack and I freeze suddenly.</p>
<p>“Raven where is the bomb?” I ask through gritted teeth scared to take another step.</p>
<p>Raven looks at me with a confused expression and then snorts before clutching her stomach. She looks at me with a pained expression but has amused eyes.</p>
<p>“Octavia Blake, of course the bomb is inside the bag. The detonator however is switched off.” She says.</p>
<p>Lexa looks like she’s having fun.</p>
<p>“When did you turn it off?”</p>
<p>“Just before the robots attacked us.” Raven is grinning.</p>
<p>“Good timing.” I swallow and I make my way towards them. I take Raven’s other arm and swing it over my shoulder. Lexa looks at me gratefully.</p>
<p>I smile in return and say “Now, where the hell are we?”</p>
<p>There’s immediately a spark in her eyes and there’s a small smile on her face.</p>
<p>“We are on the far side of the camp. What you see there is New Rome.” She points at the place but even from far away you can see that’s bustling with movement.</p>
<p>“You have houses there. Demigods who go to college in the city stay here, get married and have kids.”</p>
<p>“Kids?” Lexa seems genuinely puzzled at my reaction. Raven is gaping looking at the city too.</p>
<p>“Yeah. Kids.”</p>
<p>“You mean demigods have kids?”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Lexa replies with a frown.</p>
<p>In my 12 years of camp and demigod life, there wasn’t even one moment I thought about settling down. It’s very rare to see demigods even cross the teen years. By then monsters catch up to them one way or another.</p>
<p>Raven wears a similarly dazed expression. We didn’t even know that it was a possibility.</p>
<p>“Anyways the hill closer to us has the temples. For gods.” Lexa continues her tour as we climb down the hill.</p>
<p>As we start walking on the plain instead, there is almost no one around. Lexa wears a confused expression.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?” Raven asks noticing her expression.</p>
<p>“Something isn’t right. This place should be full. No ghosts even.”</p>
<p>“Did she say ghosts?” Raven asks me eyes wide.</p>
<p>“Yeah yeah. Dead Roman warriors.” Lexa says without stopping her search.</p>
<p>“Where are we?” I ask.</p>
<p>“We’re in the Field of Mars.” Lexa says distractedly. “That is Ares for you.” She looks at us. “Mars is the second most important god only next to Jupiter. Zeus for you.” She explains for our sake.</p>
<p>It’s a nice feeling knowing that your dad’s other personality is respected here. Ares is not well known among Greeks.</p>
<p>Then far on the other side of a stone path, there was a crowd. A lot of people were standing there. Demigods and like Lexa said shimmering creatures which were, no doubt, ghosts.</p>
<p>Lexa stops moving abruptly. Raven stops as a result and I do too. There are series of emotions going through Lexa’s face, it’s not easy to catch them.</p>
<p>“No no no.” She murmurs and then suddenly she’s taking of at a run. She’s sprinting ahead and it takes us a couple of seconds to understand what’s happening.</p>
<p>Something with Clarke. We exchange a look and then immediately start after her. Only problem is my healing broken angle and Raven’s stab wound. We hobble awkwardly, Raven still leaning on me for support.</p>
<p>As Lexa cuts through the crowd, there are surprised gasps and murmurs of “Praetor”.</p>
<p>Raven and I follow Lexa as quickly as we can but she’s already reached the center of the gathering.</p>
<p>Then I see it.</p>
<p>Clarke tied on a metal pole with her hands tied above her. Multiple bleeding cuts all over her body.</p>
<p>I stop short when I see it and Raven gasps when she sees Clarke.</p>
<p>“What the fuck!” Raven and I rush forward even more quickly.</p>
<p>“Untie her now. Right now.” Lexa roars and few guards with full armor with a completely scared and with anxious expression step near Clarke to follow Lexa’s order.</p>
<p>Clarke is moaning softly, eyes half closed clearly somewhere between being awake and unconscious.</p>
<p>But one guy waves his hand towards the approaching demigods and they stop.</p>
<p>“Lexa, the whole senate has voted. This needs to be done.” He starts. A shining bald head with a purple cloak wrapped tightly around him.</p>
<p>He turns and sees us and immediately shouts “More <em>Graceus</em>. Capture them.”</p>
<p>I unsheathe my sword and point it at the approaching demigods.</p>
<p>“You come near and I smash your heads in with my hammer.” Raven shouts. We are standing back to back waiting for someone to attack us when Lexa shouts again.</p>
<p>“Stand down! Stand down now.” There’s a flash of lightening and roll of thunder. There’s a crack and then I faintly smell ozone.</p>
<p>“Stand down now!” She shouts once more and the demigods surrounding us slowly go back and lower their weapons but they still look at us with venom. As if we are the ones slowly torturing one of their own.</p>
<p>“But Lexa….” The bald guy starts again.</p>
<p>“I am in charge.” She shouts with so much fury that the bald guy steps backwards with his neck bent. “And you will follow what I say. Untie Clarke now.”</p>
<p>Raven and I rush forward as the guards untie Clarke. We reach her just as her bindings are removed.</p>
<p>Her body is littered with cuts but the one that seems to be the deepest is the one on her chest. Raven and I catch her before she falls. She opens her eyes very slightly and I see very wet yet clear blue eyes.</p>
<p>“O! Rae! You guys are okay?”</p>
<p>“Yes yes Clarke we’re fine.” Rae says. She’s smiling and crying and angry at the same time. I know it because I feel the same.</p>
<p>“How many cuts was she subjected to?” Lexa asks with fury evident in her tone; all tiredness and exhaustion completely forgotten.</p>
<p>“A 1000 cuts but you stopped at 16.” A quiet and steady voice says. I get Goosebumps when I hear that voice. I turn around and look at the voice’s owner.</p>
<p>Kind brown eyes are the first thing I notice before I see his face. Completely shaved head with a well-built body. If I hadn’t just returned from a life sucking quest and if Clarke wasn’t bleeding so much, I would have stared at him all day long. Next to him stood a blonde woman. She was furiously staring at the retreating back of the bald guy.</p>
<p>“Where’s Lexa? Is she alright?” Clarke’s very weak voice brings me back.</p>
<p>“Yes, Clarke she’s alright.” Raven says to her but before she can say anything else, Lexa is standing next to me having abandoned her conversation with the boy (or is he a man?)</p>
<p>“I’m here, Clarke.” Lexa says with a softness I haven’t heard from her before. Clarke smiles faintly and says “Good” before she closes her eyes.</p>
<p>“Clarke! Wake up!” I slap her cheek gently as she opens her eyes slightly with a groan.</p>
<p>“Take her to Nyko! Now!” Lexa orders and a group of demigods from the crowd come forward and pick her up.</p>
<p>“Raven, Octavia. Please go to the infirmary with Clarke. I will join you there shortly.” Lexa says and I notice a bit of authority in her tone which seems to flow from her suddenly. Like she’s back to the place she belongs to. Which she is.</p>
<p>“And if anyone, anyone lays a finger on any of the Greeks, you will answer to me. You attack them and you attack me.” She says calmly with a stoic face but her voice reaches everyone in the crowd.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. “When did we become people who hug?”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Continuation from the events of the last chapter.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Clarke, Raven and Octavia are being taken to the infirmary where I know that Nyko would give the best possible care to them. After the crowd disperses, Lincoln, Anya and I go to my quarters.</p><p>I try not to think about the other occupant and fail miserably.</p><p>Her laugh, her eyes twinkling with humor, her soft brown hair all comes rushing back. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to stop these thoughts.</p><p>They must understand it because I feel Lincoln’s hand on my shoulder. He gives my shoulder a squeeze and I open my eyes.</p><p>I knew that Costia would never come back to me when she disappeared. But seeing her body, shook things up rudely. I remember going into the forest for some time alone. And then the next thing I was in a cave with Clarke-Venus actually but I didn’t know about this till yesterday.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Lexa.” Lincoln says.</p><p>I merely nod at him. I don’t know what to say.</p><p>Anya looks at me simply and offers me a piece of ambrosia. “Here. You look paler than Griffin after she shadow travelled.”</p><p>I chew on it as I look at Anya and Lincoln. They take it as a sign to start talking.</p><p>“After you went into the forest after Costia’s funeral, we didn’t look for you for a while. Thought you’d come back. Then when you didn’t return, we sent out search parties.” Anya’s chewing on her bottom lip. Not a good sign.</p><p>“Indra and Gustus still haven’t returned.” Lincoln says. I just nod still eating my ambrosia.</p><p>“3 days after you disappeared, I met Griffin. Near the mountain’s black fog circle.”</p><p>“She told me about meeting you at her camp but I didn’t believe her.” I did not expect anything else.</p><p>“She then told me about your tattoo.” She points to the SPQR tattoo on my upper arm. “She said she could contact you through some rainbow goddess.” Anya smirks now as if she’s privy to some personal joke.</p><p>She refrains from telling it now but I know she’ll definitely tell me about it the first chance she gets.</p><p>“That’s when we got captured.”</p><p>“By the mountain?” I ask. No one has ever returned from the mountain and lived to tell the story.</p><p>“Yes.” I exhale feeling my shoulders and my back relax.</p><p>Suddenly, Anya looks mad. Lincoln looks furious too. Their face transforming from concern to anger both surprises and confuses me.</p><p>“They take our blood for themselves.”</p><p>“I’m sorry. They what?” I almost spit out my ambrosia.</p><p>“They strip us down, hang us upside down like animals for our blood. After they take our blood, when we are useless to them, we’re thrown away like garbage.”</p><p>I’m shaking. My entire body is shaking. I faintly realize that the air smells like ozone now but I can’t bring myself to care.</p><p>“Is that what happened to Costia?” I have to know what happened to her. I’m afraid if I don’t know what happened to her, I’ll lose it.</p><p>“No, Lexa. We don’t know about the reapers.” Lincoln says with an expression that screams pity. I exhale trying to keep my temper in check.</p><p>“And there’s something else, Lexa.” Lincoln starts off tentatively. I look at him bracing for more bad news.</p><p>“The people in the mountain….they are the Greeks who attacked us a 100 years ago.” He says and waits for my reaction.</p><p>“I know.” I sigh and lean back more into my chair.</p><p>“Wait, how?”</p><p>“My quest.”</p><p>“Your quest had something to do with the mountain?”</p><p>There is simply no easy way to say this. “Becca Franko is helping the mountain.”</p><p>I give a couple of seconds for it to sink in.</p><p>Anya gives a short bark of laughter. She eventually wipes the amused look off her face when my expression doesn’t change.</p><p>“Becca Franko, as in the praetor of the Roman camp from 100 years ago?” Lincoln asks slowly.</p><p>At my nod, there’s a sharp intake of breath. It comes from Anya.</p><p>“How is she still alive? She’d be more than a 100 years old.”</p><p>“She’s a god. Something to do with technology. Raven will know better.” Anya’s eyes narrow when I mention Raven.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Who’s Raven?”</p><p>I eye her closely as I say “The one who was yielding the hammer and threatened to break their heads in if our people came any closer.”</p><p>Lincoln grins. “Ah yes that was good. Who was the other one?” He asks nonchalantly.</p><p>“That was Octavia Blake. Daughter of Ares.” Lincoln nods clearly failing from showing his disinterest.</p><p>“And I’m guessing Raven would be Daughter of Vulcan.”</p><p>“Hephaestus actually.”</p><p>“Lexa, what happened there exactly?” Lincoln asks me gently. He doesn’t need to mention what he’s asking about. My face and my body is giving my exhaustion away.</p><p>“I’ll cover that later. Tell me how you escaped from the mountain.” I say to Anya.</p><p>Lincoln butts in before Anya can answer.</p><p>“Lexa, this can wait for a while. We need to get you to the infirmary. You don’t look well.”</p><p>“I’m fine, Lincoln. Nothing a sleep can’t cure.” Anya snorts and I glare at her.</p><p>“Did you look into the mirror? You don’t look fine, Lexa. I’ll tell you more about what happened with Clarke once we get you checked out.” Anya replies.</p><p>I sigh giving in. I know she’s right. I get up from my chair with a loud groan. My joints are killing me and I know it’s because of the poison.</p><p>Lincoln looks really concerned at my groan.</p><p>“Lexa, can you please tell me what happened to you during the quest?” He’s checking my eyes.</p><p>“I got poisoned.” Lincoln stops his examination immediately and looks at me with wide eyes. Anya looks at me with her mouth wide open.</p><p>“It’s alright. I got the antidote. But I just don’t feel back to my normal self. I’m just tired.”</p><p>Anya is livid now. “You idiot, why didn’t you tell me this before? Running head first into problems without thinking about your condition.”</p><p>“What condition? I’m fine.” This earns me a slap to the back of my head from Anya.</p><p>“Ey! Not cool. I thought we established that I’m not well.” I say rubbing at my head.</p><p>“Come on Lincoln. Let’s take her to the infirmary and get her checked out. Maybe you can give her one of those potions you carry around.”</p><p>“It’s not just some potion. I have to find out what exactly happened to her. Maybe get a bit of the poison.” Lincoln rolls his eyes.</p><p>“She is standing right here.” I grumble.</p><p>Anya glares at me but Lincoln breaks into a smile.</p><p>“I missed you, Lexa. Please never do that again.” He turns to me and hugs me tight. I don’t complain that his hug is too tight. I enjoy it.</p><p>Anya wears a much less pissed off expression. It’s her way of letting me know that if I do something like that again, she’ll kill me. And I suppose she’s happy to see me again. Just like I am.</p><p>I smile at her and extend my arm. She accepts it with a much milder expression and steps into the hug.</p><p>Anya removes herself from the hug and says “When did we become people who hug?”</p><p>“Since both of you almost died.” Lincoln retorts. It’s a rather simple statement but it strikes a chord.</p><p>“Come on. I’ll introduce you to my friends.” I say as we start walking towards the infirmary.</p><p>---------------</p><p>“Do you know what poisoned Lexa?” Lincoln asks Octavia considering she is the only person not lying on a bed.</p><p>Raven is on a bed nearby while Nyko applies some salve to her stomach wound. Her mouth is open and the expression on her face is pure relief.</p><p>I wonder how much she must have been hurting till now. Clarke is at the other corner of the room. By the time we reached, Nyko had already attended to Clarke.</p><p>Her cuts were all bandaged and she was given the maximum amount of ambrosia and nectar she could have without her body burning up. Nyko also gave her something which seems to have knocked her right out.</p><p>“No. It was all so sudden. It was just a graze from a bullet that poisoned her.” Octavia says with something akin to shame in her tone.</p><p>“You couldn’t have done anything, Octavia. Also you’re the reason why all of us are here. You fought so many robots off singlehandedly.”</p><p>“I’m sorry but did you say robots?” Anya interrupts with wide eyes.</p><p>“Yes. Robots.” I say to her. She looks stunned. I honestly didn’t think I was going to fight robots until I was fighting them.</p><p>It was an experience that my 9 years of my life in the Roman camp did not prepare me for.</p><p>“Wait, I think Raven might have the bullet. She collects all sorts of things. She might have one.” Octavia suddenly interrupts my thoughts.</p><p>“Oi Raven! Did you manage to take any bullets from the quad?” Octavia shouts.</p><p>“I’m not sure about the bullets but I do have the…” She takes the tool belt which is on her bedside table, which she removed before falling into bed, and takes out an entire quadcopter. Broken one yes but definitely a quadcopter.</p><p>I laugh. I look at Anya and Lincoln and their eyes seem to falling out of their sockets. Octavia smiles at Raven as if she didn’t expect anything else.</p><p>Raven fiddles with the quad and then shouts “Aha! I didn’t have the time to check how it worked so I just stuffed one in before we left. It turns out the bullet, just before being released, was sprayed with this.”</p><p>I remember how Octavia, Raven and I ran around the cave collecting our possessions before Hephaestus brought us here.</p><p>She pulls out a small vial which looked like a perfume bottle. Lincoln walks to her bed and takes the vial from her with safe hands.</p><p>“Thank You, Raven….”</p><p>“Reyes.” Raven is beaming. Octavia rolls her eyes at Raven’s face.</p><p>And Anya, well Anya is looking at Raven with eyes so narrow, I think they are more like slits.</p><p>What is happening?</p><p>Nyko is not happy about the interruptions but once Raven lies back down happily, he continues to tend to Raven’s wounds.</p><p>“I’ll find out what this poison is and until then Lexa, you take this. It’s a detoxing potion. Removes everything unwanted from your system.” At my grimace, “You are taking it. No objections.”</p><p>Once I drain the revolting liquid down my throat, he continues “Nyko agrees with me that you need to be under observation.”</p><p>“No! Absolutely not. We have a war to plan.”</p><p>“And there will be no war with a dead praetor. I certainly don’t want to live to see Titus take control of the camp.” Anya says seriously.</p><p>Dead Praetor. That sobers me up pretty well. I can’t help but think of Costia.</p><p>I know that Lincoln is glaring at Anya and that’s she responding with a shrug but I close my eyes not to see their interactions anymore.</p><p>“You take care, Lexa. Raven will be here too.” At Raven’s cry of anguish, Lincoln says “You might have internal injuries and we need to monitor you. You’re staying overnight too.”</p><p>I open my eyes to see Raven glare at the ceiling indignantly.</p><p>“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that, Lexa.” Anya says to me softly. I know Octavia is trying to listen in, so I merely say “It’s okay.”</p><p>But it’s not. Her death wasn’t okay. She wasn’t ready to go. Hell, I wasn’t ready for her to go.</p><p>“Come on, Octavia Blake. I’ll get you settled in your quarters.” Lincoln says wearing a very tender smile.</p><p>“Sure.” She picks up her bag and turns to Raven “I’ll be back. Don’t go crazy.” Raven merely rolls her eyes at the ceiling.</p><p>“Take care, Lexa.” She says to me and with one look to the corner of the room where Clarke is, Octavia leaves with Lincoln.</p><p>I notice a strange skip to her step that I haven’t seen her use at all in the past week I’ve known her. Isn’t her ankle broken?</p><p>I snort mentally and close my eyes. I hear a sigh from Anya but I don’t open my eyes.</p><p>Ever since I came back, my memories have been coming back steadily. And now I have them all back. It’s relaxing and overwhelming at the same time.</p><p>There’s shuffling of feet and I open my eyes again to see that Anya has gone to Raven’s bed. Anya sits on the adjacent empty bed and they seem to be talking.</p><p>Nyko finishes with Raven and heads straight to me with a smile on his face.</p><p>“Welcome back Praetor. We were worried.” Nyko says with a smile as he examines me.</p><p>“Thanks Nyko.” I cannot stop the exhaustion from showing in my tone. Nyko hears it and wears a sad smile.</p><p>“Lincoln told me that you were administered an antidote for the poison. Whatever it is, it seems to be working.” I nod. He continues. “Take this.” He hands me a small vial.</p><p>At my questioning look, he replies “It’s a sleeping potion. It’ll help keep the dreams away. At least for a while.”</p><p>I nod and gulp it down. I try saying thanks to Nyko but he must see it in my eyes because he smiles and nods.</p><p>He leaves my side and I close my eyes waiting for sleep to take me.</p><p>-----------</p><p>I open my eyes slowly when I feel sunlight on my face. I groan as I feel my bones crack when I stretch.</p><p>“You know, your bones shouldn’t make that sound.”</p><p>I freeze and look for the voice. Sitting on the bed next to mine, is Clarke eating something out of a cup. She doesn’t have any more bandages on her body.</p><p>“Clarke, what are you doing? You’re supposed to be resting.”</p><p>“I’ve rested enough Lexa.” She replies with a smile. The sunlight hitting her face makes her tired blue eyes sparkle even more than normal. And her hair is golden.</p><p>She must know I’m staring at her because her smile is wider now. I cough and I sit on my bed.</p><p>“Rested enough? Sleeping for a night doesn’t count.”</p><p>“What?” She laughs. “Lexa, you’ve been asleep for 2 days.”</p><p>2 days? What? She’s kidding.</p><p>“It’s good that you got some rest. That wasn’t some random poison. It was the Gorgon’s blood.” Clarke says.</p><p>“Lincoln and Anya stopped by a couple of times. Lincoln said it was a miracle you are even alive.” She looks concerned. She trails off leaving an uncomfortable silence.</p><p>“I’m fine now.”</p><p>“I saw you. You were on the floor bleeding out. Octavia and Raven were cornered by robots.” She whispers. Almost as if she’s scared to tell it out loud.</p><p>Her eyes have something more than concern but I’m not able to place it. I look away from her eyes and look down at my hands.</p><p>“Your dream?” I know that a demigod rarely gets dreamless sleep. It’s always filled with something but they’re always true.</p><p>A lump forms in my throat when I think about it. I have never felt so helpless. I was blind and almost dead.</p><p>“What time is it?” I ask Clarke standing up. I clear my throat to clear the lump.</p><p>“It’s almost 3 in the afternoon.” Clarke replies softly as if she understands what I’m going through.</p><p>“I think I’ve spent enough time at the infirmary. I’m going to find Anya and Lincoln.” I’m almost out the door when a hand catches my arm. I turn around.</p><p>“Thank You Lexa. For keeping them safe.” Clarke’s face is incredibly close and I can’t help but look at her lips.</p><p>I nod and look at her eyes forcing myself not to look at her lips.</p><p>She smiles slightly and lets go off my hand. “I don’t think you should leave. Maybe wait for Nyko to discharge you.”</p><p>“I am the praetor. I don’t wait for anyone.” I puff out my chest for emphasis.</p><p>Clarke smiles at my reply but says “I know. But as a healer, I personally wouldn’t let you leave without a check-up.”</p><p>I huff as I sit down on my bed again. “You’re right. Both Nyko and Lincoln will be mad if I leave before I’m discharged.”</p><p>She nods but doesn’t say anything else.</p><p>“You’ve healed pretty well.” I say trying desperately to fill the silence.</p><p>“Nothing ambrosia and nectar can’t cure.” She shrugs.</p><p>“I’m sorry….I didn’t realise you would be….” I start awkwardly. Clarke freezes.</p><p>“Didn’t be what? Tied to a pole in the middle of the camp as people take turns cutting me?” She snaps. I’ve only had to face hostile Clarke once before- when I chose Raven and Octavia over her for my quest.</p><p>I knew then that I was making the right choice. But here, I know it’s my fault.</p><p>“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.” Clarke says.</p><p>“No no please don’t be sorry. I was worried about this when I heard you were in danger.”</p><p>Clarke frowns.</p><p>“How did you know I was in danger?”</p><p>“It was Venus. Venus told us where you were.” I remember spectacularly how I made a complete fool of myself calling Venus as Clarke.</p><p>I should have a word with Raven and Octavia about it. Clarke doesn’t need to know that whenever I see Venus, I see Clarke instead.</p><p>“Venus? As in Aphrodite?” Clarke looks gobsmacked.</p><p>“Yes.” I keep my answers short lest I blabber something.</p><p>“I really hoped that they will hear you out.” I try to move the conversation away from dangerous waters.</p><p>“Anya did. Lincoln too. But I suppose that was because Anya explained to him.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“Anya didn’t tell you yet?”</p><p>Before she can elaborate, Nyko walks in rubbing his hands together in excitement once he sees I’m awake.</p><p>“Ah Praetor! How are you feeling?”</p><p>“Feeling much better.”</p><p>“Good. That’s good. Any nausea?” He asks while closely looking at my eyes.</p><p>I shake my head.</p><p>“The poison was Gorgon’s blood. It’s a miracle.” Nyko repeats whatever Clarke said.</p><p>“I know. Clarke told me.”</p><p>“Right. Of course. You’re fine. You can leave but I strongly advise you to take it slow for the next two days or so.” Nyko shakes his head while he says the last bit as if he knows that I won’t pay heed to that advice.</p><p>He turns and looks at Clarke. “Octavia and Raven are on their way.”</p><p>“Thanks Nyko.” Clarke replies. There’s still a hint of hostility in her voice but I suppose it’s fair when the Romans did try to kill her in such a brutal fashion.</p><p>“On their way?” I ask.</p><p>“Yeah. I’m also being discharged.” She says. I nod.</p><p>“You can also leave, Praetor.” Nyko says thankfully ending the growing silence.</p><p>I look at Clarke. Her posture is very rigid despite her face being devoid of expressions.</p><p>“Come on. I’ll lead you to your quarters.” I motion to Clarke to follow me as I thank Nyko and leave the infirmary.</p><p>“So, did Octavia and Raven come visit you?” I ask her.</p><p>“They did. At least Nyko told me that they came to see me yesterday. And since it’s only noon, I suppose both of them wouldn’t be up.” She says with a hint of smile on her face.</p><p>I smile and look at her. Our eyes meet. Behind those clear blue eyes, I can see a hint of pain. My smile falls when I see that and she notices it too.</p><p>She knows that her attempt to hide her mental turmoil was not successful.</p><p>“Clarke….” I start only to be interrupted by her again.</p><p>“I know, Lexa. There is nothing you could have done.” She replies shortly but I know that she’s holding back.</p><p>Many people stare unabashedly at Clarke and me. Some stop on their way and nod to me. I simply nod back and respond with a wave at times.</p><p>Clarke notices many people staring at her but she simply draws herself up straighter and walks straight ahead not acknowledging their stares.</p><p>And then I see Octavia and Lincoln walking towards us. Octavia and Lincoln are deep in conversation but when she sees us, she abruptly stops talking and waves to us.</p><p>I can’t help but wonder what is going on between those two and not to mention Anya and Raven.</p><p>Octavia runs the rest of the distance and hugs Clarke fiercely. Clarke hugs her back just as forcefully.</p><p>“I’m glad you are okay.” Octavia says and Clarke’s eyes flash dangerously.</p><p>But she says nothing except “I’m glad you and Raven are okay too.”</p><p>Lincoln and I stand awkwardly as we watch their little reunion.</p><p>“Praetor.” Lincoln says.</p><p>“Lincoln.” I say back with a nod.</p><p>I take a step back. “I’m going to go my quarters.” I say to Clarke. I couldn’t have been more awkward.</p><p>“Okay.” Clarke says and looks away without another word.</p><p>I look at Octavia and she is looking between me and Clarke with barely hidden excitement.</p><p>The Venus part! There was only one explanation as to why Venus would appear as Clarke to me on 2 separate occasions. And once when I’ve never seen that face before in my life.</p><p>“Octavia, a word please.” I call her.</p><p>Octavia grins and follows me as I lead her away from the earshot of Lincoln and Clarke.</p><p>“Octavia, I do not want you to tell Clarke about Venus’s appearance during our quest.” Octavia just grins in response.</p><p>“Don’t worry. I’m not going to spoil your declaration of love for Clarke. And Raven won’t say anything to Clarke either.”</p><p>I sigh in relief but that just makes Octavia grin more widely. I’m glad she doesn’t know me well enough to read my emotions. But, Lincoln does.</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>She turns around and walks back to Clarke. I notice Clarke looking at us with a frown on her face. So is Lincoln.</p><p>“Come on, Lincoln let’s go.” I wave to him. I start walking in the opposite direction after giving Clarke a small wave. Clarke waves back.</p><p>He flashes a swift smile at Octavia and nods at Clarke before he walks to my side.</p><p>“So, are you going to tell me what that was about?” Lincoln says.</p><p>“Can you arrange for a meeting with the Greeks? I want Anya and you there also.” I say instead.</p><p>I don’t need to look at Lincoln to know that he’s giving me a disapproving look.</p><p>“Yes?” I ask him again. He grunts in response and I take it as a yes.</p><p>We reach my quarters and just as I’m about to enter, Lincoln pulls me back by my arm.</p><p>“Lexa, are you okay?” He asks again with concern etched all over his face. He must know that something is up.</p><p>I look at him bracing myself for his reaction.</p><p>“I now know why Diana didn’t let me join the Hunters.”</p><p>-------------</p><p>I lean back on my throne comfortably when someone barges into my throne room.</p><p>It’s Anya. I didn’t expect anything else from Lincoln. He follows behind calmly but wears an expression of concern yet again.</p><p>Anya’s however, is barely concealed rage.</p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” She all but shouts.</p><p>I sigh and get up from my throne having not sat on it for more than a few seconds.</p><p>“Anya, this is not the time to discuss this. We will talk later.”</p><p>“Like hell we will.” Anya growls back.</p><p>“The Greeks are on their way and I don’t want any of them to know about this.”</p><p>Anya narrows her eyes before firing “How long have you known?”</p><p>Before I can reply, someone enters the room again. This time it’s Titus.</p><p>“Heda. We cannot make a deal with those Greeks. They need to be killed. You cannot trust----”</p><p>“You don’t tell me what I can and cannot do.” Titus, Anya and Lincoln flinch back at my voice.</p><p>I’m shouting now.</p><p>“You almost jeopardized everything when you decided that you were in charge while I was gone. Is your head so far up in your head that you cannot see that the Gods have given us an opportunity to bring down the Mountain once and for all?”</p><p>“Heda----” Titus starts looking surprised at my outburst. Emotions locked inside for a while combined with my temporary amnesia seems to have gotten the better of me.</p><p>“If it was a Greek only, I’d understand. But that Greek came along with one of our trusted Centurions. You couldn’t spare a thought to the fact that Anya and Clarke were the only two people who have ever come outside the mountain alive?”</p><p>I take a deep breath and continue.</p><p>“And let me make this very clear Titus. We almost lost our once chance at redemption because of you. I will make sure that you will never be Prateor.”</p><p>Titus tries to interrupt me looking panic-stricken. I don't pay him any heed and simply continue.</p><p>“And the only reason you aren’t banished from my camp”, I emphasize on the ‘my’ “is because you have the blessing of Apollo.”</p><p>Titus’s mouth is wide open. Anya and Lincoln sport barely concealed smiles.</p><p>“Now, get out.” I shout.</p><p>Titus stumbles and almost falls on his way out, the look of pure terror still not having left his face.</p><p>“I’ve waited for more than 5 years for this.”</p><p>It’s not Anya who says this. Instead it’s Lincoln and he’s grinning widely.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The first god Amnesiac Lexa remembers, back in the first chapter, is Diana/Artemis. I thought that Lexa's commitment to join the Hunters before Costia would be good reason as to why Lexa remembered about Diana/Artemis before.</p><p>We also know that Aphrodite has plans about Lexa and Clarke.</p><p>Please feel free to leave comments.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. “You blithering idiot.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Continuation from the last chapter. Clarke, Raven and Octavia reunite but it doesn't go smoothly.</p>
<p>Clarke's POV</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I couldn’t figure out what was more humiliating- being treated by a Roman after what they did to me or walking with the Praetor, who saved me while everyone else looks, more like gawks openly at me.</p>
<p>Hardly an hour after Anya and I landed back at camp, I was being strung in the middle of the camp. Like watching me bleed to death was entertainment for this camp.</p>
<p>And all I could think about was how I landed in this mess.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>2 days ago-</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>Anya spins in and out of focus. Her mouth is moving. She’s saying something. I look up at the sky. It’s a clear day with no clouds.</p>
<p>A hand comes to my cheeks and forces my head to turn. Anya’s concerned face looms over mine.</p>
<p>It’s too much. Something’s tugging at my chest. Pulling me. It’s burning now.</p>
<p>Anya’s mouth moves for the last time as I close my eyes and succumb to the fire.</p>
<p>---------------</p>
<p>“Don’t worry Abby. Clarke is safe. She’s probably busy with something. You always told me how much fun she has at her summer camp.” A voice says. It’s my mom’s colleague, Eric Jackson.</p>
<p>“I hope so too. Yeah, she’s probably just forgotten to call me.” She nods at him. He looks helpless but he nods backs and walks away.</p>
<p>She’s staring at the phone in her hand.</p>
<p>“Clarke, where the hell are you? You should have called me a couple of days ago.” She mutters under her breath.</p>
<p>I wave my hands to catch her attention but she looks lost. And sad.</p>
<p>“Mom, I’m right here.” I touch her hand. But she doesn’t respond to my touch. She’s looking sad as if I’m not standing right next to her.</p>
<p>“Dr.Griffin, we need you now.” A nurse calls for her. My mom sighs and starts walking away.</p>
<p>I want to follow her but I’m yanked away again.</p>
<p>------------</p>
<p>A woman wearing a lab coat is saying something but I’m too far away and I can’t hear what she’s saying. The room is filled with computers all of them running some sort of code.</p>
<p>Three women, two of them holding swords. One of them is on the ground while the other two are standing guard over her.</p>
<p>It’s Lexa on the floor. Octavia has her sword drawn out and Raven also looks ready to fight. Then suddenly Lexa is shaking. She’s seizing and I watch helplessly as Octavia tries to help Lexa.</p>
<p>On the other side of the room, there’s a man in a box. With shimmering lines all around him. He looks wild. A ruffled and unruly beard with fires in them. His head is deformed- it looks like one side has been smashed in.</p>
<p>I realise with a start that it’s Hephaestus, Raven’s father.</p>
<p>I feel my stomach fall as I watch them. I can’t help but pray that Lexa is okay.</p>
<p>Maybe if I could wake up and alert Anya about Lexa, Anya might be able to do something to help.</p>
<p>They’re talking within themselves but I can see the woman’s face pale as Raven talks.</p>
<p>Then the woman is handling a vial to Octavia. I scream in vain when I see a robot charging Octavia. But before I can see what happens, I’m pulled out and everything grows dark again.</p>
<p>--------------</p>
<p>“You blithering idiot.” Someone is shouting.</p>
<p>“Centurion Willis, you’re crossing your limit.” A stern voice replies.</p>
<p>“If a dumb carcass like you needs to understand, I need to cross these limits. Listen to me. She saved me from the Mountain Men.” There’s a pleading tone to Anya’s tone that I’m sure she pretty much never uses.</p>
<p>“Preposterous. No one escapes the Mountain.” A bald guy wearing blackish brown robes says.</p>
<p>“Titus, just listen to what Anya has to say.” There’s a huge guy towering over Anya and Titus but his voice sounds relatively calm when compared to Anya’s.</p>
<p>“It is simply not possible. We have a <em>Graceus.</em> The rules state that she should be killed on sight. But you have fed her ambrosia and nectar.” Titus says with an edge to his tone.</p>
<p>“Lexa.” I murmur. I don’t think they understand me but they hear me. Anya immediately rushes to my side and kneels down.</p>
<p>I realise I must be lying on the ground. Anya’s face comes into my vision and I blearily look at her.</p>
<p>“We need to contact Lexa. Now!” She says. She slaps my face a couple of times for emphasis. Jeez Anya!</p>
<p>Lexa. Seizing. Octavia and Raven. I gasp as I realise what I just witnessed.</p>
<p>“Lexa, she needs help.” I whisper. But Anya and the guy hear me and look alarmed.</p>
<p>“What? Where?” The other guy asks. But before I can reply, Titus is talking again.</p>
<p>“The <em>Graceus </em>scum is awake. Tie her up to the pole. She’ll be subjected to a death by thousand cuts.”</p>
<p>Anya’s face is growing foggy and her voice is garbled. I follow the tug in my gut and close my eyes again.</p>
<p>------------</p>
<p>“We’ll get our revenge anyways, son.” Dante says calmly but Cage is walking around the room cracking his knuckles.</p>
<p>Their pale faces look positively ghostly under bright lights.</p>
<p>“How can you say that? That Greek escaped. And took some Roman with her too.”</p>
<p>“We are searching for her. How could she leave the mountain? She has to be in here somewhere. We’ll get her.” Dante replies confidently.</p>
<p>I escaped that mountain but on the downside, it’s possible I’m dying.</p>
<p>Just then another man enters the room.</p>
<p>“Emerson. Did you find her?” Cage asks.</p>
<p>“No sir. She doesn’t appear to be anywhere. She’s escaped.”</p>
<p>Cage swears and starts pacing again. Dante looks slightly perturbed.</p>
<p>“No one can escape this mountain. She has to be hiding somewhere. Find her. She’s still here.” Dante says but he sounds slightly unsure.</p>
<p>Emerson nods and leaves again. Cage looks like he’s going mad.</p>
<p>“We’ll find her son. Now to more important matters.” Dante seems to have regained his calm look.</p>
<p>“Becca should have started uploading by now. Everything else is going to plan. Once hidden demigod shouldn’t matter too much.”</p>
<p>“One Roman from the cages is also missing.”</p>
<p>“You don’t think I know that?” Dante seems to have lost his cool. “So what if she escaped? Once Becca uploads the code, no one can stop us. Not even the gods.”</p>
<p>Cage seems to be calming down but Dante goes on. “One chip and we can control them. Mortal or demigod. Then what will the gods do? Kill all their children?”</p>
<p>Cage is grinning maniacally and points to a screen. Dante smiles once he looks at the screen.</p>
<p>“It’s begun. We get our revenge even though it’s 100 years late.” Cage says.</p>
<p>And I’m standing right next to them unable to do anything as I see some upload start.</p>
<p>-------------</p>
<p>I’m brought out from my thoughts as I see Octavia and Lincoln approach us. Once Octavia sees me, she takes off at a run.</p>
<p>The force of her hug catches me by surprise but I hug her back.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you are okay.” Octavia says her eyes shining.</p>
<p>Okay? I’m definitely not okay. There was nothing okay about being humiliated to death- pun unintended- by a group of people who are very close to savages. At least most of them are savages.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you and Raven are okay too.” I reply back to her. But Octavia must understand what I’m thinking as she nods back.</p>
<p>“I’m going to go to my quarters.” Lexa announces as she takes a few steps backwards. She couldn’t have been more awkward.</p>
<p>I wonder what happened to the Lexa that I knew hardly a week ago. Maybe it was because she lost all her memory. But now with the way she talks, walks and carries herself, it’s obvious she’s back in her element.</p>
<p>She’s got all of her memories back. And she’s hiding something from me.</p>
<p>This thought is confirmed when Lexa pulls Octavia away from me to talk to her about something.</p>
<p>Octavia keeps grinning as they talk and I can’t help but feel a little jealous. Of Octavia and Raven.</p>
<p>If Octavia’s body language is any indication of how close they’ve grown, I have every right to be jealous.</p>
<p>But there’s the other thought that rises up. Her people tried to kill me not a couple of days ago and here I am, still sporting that stubborn crush.</p>
<p>I can’t help it. I can’t help but be cold towards Lexa. Even if she understood. Practically I know that Lexa wasn’t to blame for any of this. In fact she saved me. But these rules were enforced by her at one point of time during her praetorship.</p>
<p>As Octavia returns, Lexa waves to me. I wave back.</p>
<p>“Where’s Raven?” I ask once Octavia returns. We make our way to the barracks.</p>
<p>“You know her. She’s still asleep.” She says with a snort of laughter but it’s clear to me that’s she trying very hard.</p>
<p>I get it. I mean, what could she possibly have to say about the situation she found me in?</p>
<p>“Tell me about your quest.” I ask her before she could say anything else.</p>
<p>Octavia looks at me hesitantly.</p>
<p>“Clarke, can we please talk about what happened to you?” She says instead. She must know from my face that I don’t want to relive it. So she starts.</p>
<p>“Well, after leaving New York, we took a flight to Toronto.” I shudder visibly. I’ve never been on planes for the fear that Zeus might just decide to shoot me out of the sky.</p>
<p>“We heard that it was the last known location of the Amazons. And you won’t guess who their leader was.” She looks at me expectantly and I shrug.</p>
<p>“Who could it have possibly been?”</p>
<p>“Lexa’s sister.”</p>
<p>I stop short completely astonished.</p>
<p>“Yes. Our exact same reaction. She never gave us any warning. Just went and introduced herself as Lexa Woods. And that she was here to see her sister.”</p>
<p>“Lexa Woods?”</p>
<p>“I know. Sexy name huh Clarke?” She nudges at my shoulder but this time the smile that comes to my face is genuine. And Octavia knows it.</p>
<p>My cheeks redden and I look away so that Octavia doesn’t see it.</p>
<p>“Anyways, turns out the leader of the Amazons is Luna, Poseidon’s daughter.” My eyebrows shoot up automatically.</p>
<p>“Yeah. Apparently Lexa was adopted by Luna’s mother.”</p>
<p>That explains why Lexa wanted to visit the beach back at home. She must have been reminded of her sister.</p>
<p>“So, Luna asks us to find this spirit called Emori. Said she knew almost everything. So when we ask Emori for help, she sends us off on a chase of a harpy who’s been stealing things from her.”</p>
<p>I nod as she narrates her quest. We’ve almost reached the barracks. The stares from the Romans are increasing more than ever but I don’t pay much heed to them.</p>
<p>“When we captured the harpy, we found the chip that Emori wanted. But we also found this strange device. Like a glass dome. Raven must still have it. You should take a look and see if you saw anything like that on the mountain.”</p>
<p>“Yes. Good idea.”</p>
<p>Octavia continues.</p>
<p>“But turns out Emori was no saint after all. And she was beating the harpy. So we helped the harpy escape from Emori’s clutches. We had to give the chip to Emori but we hid the glass dome from her.”</p>
<p>“How did the chip look like?”</p>
<p>“This big.” She shows half the length of her index finger. “It was blue in colour and had an infinity symbol on it.” Octavia stops, lost in thought.</p>
<p>“Okay. So what happened after that?”</p>
<p>We enter the Barracks and I see that there are multiple rooms. Big enough for 3-4 people. But there was hardly anyone around.</p>
<p>Octavia goes to the very end of the corridor and see she walks into a room. It has 4 bunks out of which one bed looks slept in. Octavia’s bed no doubt.</p>
<p>In another bed, a hand falls awkwardly to the ground and the person has her head deep inside a very comfortable looking pillow.</p>
<p>“Raven, wake up. Clarke’s here.” Octavia says and when she doesn’t hear a response from Raven, she walks closer to the bed.</p>
<p>I look at the other 2 beds and move to sit on one.</p>
<p>“Wake up dummy!” Octavia shakes Raven and Raven mutters something in her sleep clearly still asleep.</p>
<p>Octavia snorts as she moves towards her bed and falls on it.</p>
<p>“Yeah, she’s not going to wake up anytime soon.” I say and I don’t stop the concern and affection from showing.</p>
<p>This is my family. I don’t have to hide anything from them.</p>
<p>Octavia is sitting back comfortably after removing her boots and looking at me with concern.</p>
<p>I smile at her. “I’m really glad that you’re okay O.”</p>
<p>“I know.” She smiles back and sighs.</p>
<p>“Oh boy! It was not easy at all. We almost died.”</p>
<p>My stomach falls again and I feel horrible for behaving in a weird fashion with Lexa.</p>
<p>“What happened?” I ask.</p>
<p>“Raven.” Octavia breathes out slowly. “She died. Almost. I didn’t know what to do.” Her voice breaks and I get up from my bed and make my way to her.</p>
<p>“I’ve never felt more helpless. I didn’t know what the hell to do. She was bleeding so much. So much.” Her lip quivers and I sit down next to her and take her hand.</p>
<p>“You’re here. She’s here. And both of you are fine.”</p>
<p>“We’ll all be fine.” Octavia says and squeezes my hand.</p>
<p>“We will be.” I echo.</p>
<p>We sit there for a while not speaking just taking comfort in each other.</p>
<p>“We knew. Lexa knew. About you being captured by the mountain.” Octavia says quietly but I don’t reply.</p>
<p>I sigh and sink even further into her.</p>
<p>“I saw Miller there.”</p>
<p>Octavia stiffens immediately.</p>
<p>“In the mountain? He’s been captured?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. But that’s not just it, Octavia.”</p>
<p>“Then?” Octavia is frowning. I know that Lincoln must have told her everything I told him and Anya.</p>
<p>“Some of us are fighting for the Mountain.” I let it sink in.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Yes. Almost 50 demigods left Camp Half-Blood and joined the mountain’s cause.”</p>
<p>Octavia is quiet for a while before she questions me. “Why didn’t you tell the Romans? Lincoln or at least Anya?”</p>
<p>Her accusatory tone catches me off guard. I slowly stand up from the bed and turn to face her.</p>
<p>“Why are you saying it like that?” I ask Octavia loudly. I’ve totally forgotten that Raven is sleeping right next to me.</p>
<p>“Because it seems to me like you’re hiding something. And we cannot afford to hide anything else from them.” Octavia replies just as loudly.</p>
<p>“Afford? What can’t we afford? We’re not friends. We’re not even allies. We’re fucking enemies. And telling this to them at the wrong time just means writing our own death sentence.”</p>
<p>“You don’t understand. The wrong thing would be them finding out this way.”</p>
<p>“I don’t understand?” An eerie sort of calm seems to settle on me. Every single thing I’ve been feeling for the past 2 days just turned into anger.</p>
<p>I don’t notice the sudden drop in temperature but Octavia does.</p>
<p>“You were on a quest with the praetor of this camp who had her memory stolen. You had no idea what happens to a Greek in a Roman camp till Lexa told you. And just because you’re all buddies now,” I gesture to Raven who’s now wide awake, “doesn’t make this any less easy.”</p>
<p>“Lexa’s a friend. She’ll----”</p>
<p>“No. No. She’s not.” I shout and both Octavia and Raven jump. The temperature drops even more but I don’t think it’s something I’m able to control.</p>
<p>“She’s the praetor of the camp. She enforced the kill on sight order. And no I don’t blame them for enforcing this rule. Yes, I know there are people in this camp who have our back. I had them too. Didn’t stop me from bleeding out in front of hundreds.”</p>
<p>“Clarke-----” Raven gets up from her bed and touches my shoulder. I move away from the touch.</p>
<p>“Don’t you think I know the seriousness of the situation? Don’t you think that if the Romans come to know about the presence of Greeks inside the mountain helping their enemy, they might decide to wage war on us?”</p>
<p>“So what? You’re going to hide it from them?”</p>
<p>“I never said that. But it was you who jumped to conclusions. That I was hiding it from them. And yes I hid it from them because I did whatever I had to save myself.”</p>
<p>“Clarke…..what happened?”</p>
<p>I look at Raven and Octavia. I feel the anger drain out of me and I sigh heavily.</p>
<p>I walk backwards and fall on my bed. Raven and Octavia keep standing and don’t follow me.</p>
<p>I have to tell them what happened at some point.</p>
<p>“It was the night after you guys left. When I woke up, I was tied up. I was in a cave. Anya found me and assumed that I was one of the mountain guys. And she started to interrogate me.”</p>
<p>“Interrogate-----”</p>
<p>“Yes. There were a few punches involved but I got her listening. Managed to convince her that Lexa was in the Greek camp. That she had left for a quest. And just when I had convinced her that I was not the bad guy, we were attacked.”</p>
<p>Raven and Octavia don’t react so I know that Anya and Lincoln must have filled them in till whatever they knew. I continue anyways.</p>
<p>“When I woke up again, I met with a guy named Dante Wallace. Around 70s. Had a sun named Cage who was talking to some woman about some monsters. They told me who they were. Why the gods had punished them…”</p>
<p>“What was the name of the woman?” Raven asks.</p>
<p>“Becca.”</p>
<p>I see Octavia and Raven exchange a look.</p>
<p>“She was the woman wearing the lab coat in the cave right?”</p>
<p>They both looked surprised at that but they slowly understand. Dreams. A demigod’s boon and bane.</p>
<p>“And then he introduced me to a girl named Maya.”</p>
<p>When both their faces did not show any recollection of that name, I continue. “I don’t even know her last name. But she was in the Hermes cabin. For more than 3 years. Undecided.”</p>
<p>Raven and Octavia wear ashamed looks but I’m quick to stop them. “I didn’t know either. She told me all this.”</p>
<p>“But from what I gather, the mountain seems to be working with monsters. To overthrow the Gods.”</p>
<p>Raven nods. “And Becca was helping them.”</p>
<p>“Becca did say she didn’t plan on taking the throne for herself.” Octavia says too.</p>
<p>“So, from what Maya told me some of our people joined their cause. To bring down the Gods. But some of those people didn’t like this plan. So when they tried to leave, the Mountain captured them. That’s how I saw Miller.”</p>
<p>“Did you see anyone else?”</p>
<p>I shake my head. “But Miller did mention Brian also being captured.”</p>
<p>“How did you escape with Anya?” Octavia asks after a moment of silence.</p>
<p>“I managed to shadow travel. Stopped once at the edge of the forest. Then landed here.”</p>
<p>They both nod but don’t say anything. I continue.</p>
<p>“It took me a fair while to regain consciousness. But when I did, I came to Anya and Titus shouting at one another. Titus clearly wanted to kill me but Anya and Lincoln were trying to tell him what actually happened.”</p>
<p>“That Titus is a bitch.” Raven says and Octavia cracks a smile.</p>
<p>“Yeah. He refused to listen to both Anya and Lincoln. He singlehandedly decided my punishment. Guess he was in charge when the praetor isn’t around.”</p>
<p>And I trail off. They know how it ended.</p>
<p>I see Octavia and Raven exchange a look.</p>
<p>“So, what do we do now?” Octavia asks as she comes and sits next to me. Raven follows Octavia and sits on my other side.</p>
<p>“Ummm…we,” I say pointing to Octavia and me, “need to make sure that Raven brushes her teeth.” I grin.</p>
<p>The tense, morose mood is immediately broken as Octavia laughs and Raven grumbles and gets up.</p>
<p>I catch Raven by her arm and before she can react, I’m hugging her.</p>
<p>“I missed you.” I whisper in her ear and she hugs me tighter.</p>
<p>I step back and turn to look at Octavia.</p>
<p>“Can I borrow one of your shirts and pants?”</p>
<p>“Yeah sure.” She gets up from my bed and searches for a spare T-shirt in her bag.</p>
<p>“And a pant also.”</p>
<p>“Where’s the bathroom?” I ask after Octavia hands her clothes to me.</p>
<p>“Come on. I gotta use the restroom too.”</p>
<p>Raven and I leave the room.</p>
<p>“Raven, what happened after you guys met with that spirit?”</p>
<p>“Right. So we left for Anchorage from there. And well, Lexa started to regain her memory back slowly. She told us all about the mountain. Bellamy iris messaged that you were missing. Initially, well we thought you were following us.” Raven smiles sheepishly at me.</p>
<p>“To be honest, it was something I’d considered.” It really was. Maybe I could have followed them if I hadn’t mysteriously ended up in the roman forests.</p>
<p>“Lexa suspected that you were the exchange from our camp to hers.”</p>
<p>I nod along.</p>
<p>“Only later on we came to know that you were in the mountain.”</p>
<p>“Octavia told so. But how?”</p>
<p>“Yeah we did---” Raven tries to backtrack hastily but this got my attention.</p>
<p>“How?”</p>
<p>“Look, Clarke it isn’t important.”</p>
<p>“What? How is it not important?”</p>
<p>“Just trust me. You wouldn’t want to know how we knew.” Raven says firmly but I wasn’t going to let it slide this easily.</p>
<p>I make a mental note to ask Lexa about this later.</p>
<p>“Anyways, moving on. We had a choice you know? To come rescue you or to rescue my dad.” Raven says and pales immediately.</p>
<p>The wording wasn’t great.</p>
<p>“And you chose the latter. Gathered that.” I say but it’s only understanding and not cold.</p>
<p>“I shouldn’t have phrased it---”</p>
<p>“Look, I get it. It was a quest that involved your dad. What troubles me more is did you know before you went on the quest? That something was up with your dad?”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Raven says with a sigh.</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you----”</p>
<p>“Because I was worried. And I didn’t want you to worry. It was gradual at first. Then all our devices started to fail. It was a surprise they worked during Capture the Flag.”</p>
<p>“But Octavia knew? Before the quest that is?”</p>
<p>Raven sports a troubled face. So she told Octavia about it but she didn’t want to ‘worry’ me.</p>
<p>“Continue.” I say shortly.</p>
<p>“Clarke---” Raven starts but she stops when she sees my face. She sighs heavily and continues.</p>
<p>“So we decided to go on with the quest. We decided you could hold on for another day or so.” She adds. “That was when Lexa got poisoned by Gorgon’s blood.” She pauses for a second and then continues.</p>
<p>“One minute we were talking and searching for a cave and then we were on a land mine.”</p>
<p>“Mines on a glacier?”</p>
<p>“Yes. And as if that wasn’t enough, quadcopters which shot bullets came down on us along with robots.”</p>
<p>I don’t bother to hide my surprise.</p>
<p>All these years of camp, we practised to kill monsters. But robots? What the hell were we going to do?</p>
<p>“Lexa got shot and then a while later we realised that she was poisoned.”</p>
<p>I remember this as if I was with them when it happened. Lexa on the ground helpless while Raven and Octavia were against a hoard of robots.</p>
<p>“Turns out the leader of this plan to support the mountain to topple the Gods was the previous Roman praetor who was in charge when the Greeks attacked the Roman camp.”</p>
<p>“She’s helping them now?” I’m confused. “Doesn’t she know that the mountain men are actually the Greeks who killed her people more than a 100 years ago?”</p>
<p>“Oh she does.” Raven nods with glee. “Apparently she invented a mind reading device.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah. She’s my sister.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Yes. And the God of artificial intelligence.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>Raven laughs but it lacks humour.</p>
<p>“Anyways long story short, both the mountain and Becca believe the gods are behind all this.” Raven lowers her voice suddenly. “And that part I believe. It was their mood swings that caused this.”</p>
<p>I nod and think about my conversation with Hades. I had told him the exact same thing.</p>
<p>“So, we managed to free my dad and then get him back in time to the council.” Raven’s voice cracks slightly and I remember what Octavia told me about how she had almost died.</p>
<p>I nod not asking anything else. I’m sure she’ll tell me what exactly happened in time.</p>
<p>-----------</p>
<p>Raven and I walk back to our room after a bath and I almost feel normal. Almost.</p>
<p>“Do Bellamy and Kane know?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Octavia called them and told them everything that happened.”</p>
<p>“Good.”</p>
<p>Many Romans stare at us but we don’t pay heed. Some even whisper loudly and we catch some words. <em>Death. Traitors. Scum.</em></p>
<p>“So what are we going to do now?” Raven asks.</p>
<p>“I think we’re going to have a meeting with Lexa. See how we go from here.”</p>
<p>And when we enter the room, I see Lincoln.</p>
<p>Octavia and Lincoln both are wearing smiles and what I’d definitely call smitten looks.</p>
<p>Raven grins next to me obviously noting the same thing as me. I look at Raven and smile.</p>
<p>“Hey guys.” Octavia interrupts before we can say anything. Her eyes pleading with us not to say anything. “Lexa wants to meet us.”</p>
<p>Lincoln nods at us and steps out of the room and with one last look at Octavia, he walks away.</p>
<p>I look at Raven and grin before I walk to Octavia.</p>
<p>“Oh Raven, do you hear that?” I call to Raven. Octavia frowns.</p>
<p>“Yes, I do. Yes.” Raven replies with a laugh.</p>
<p>“Hear what?” Octavia looks between Raven and me.</p>
<p>“Wedding bells. What else?” As Octavia shoves me with a smile, Raven and I laugh.</p>
<p>And when I look at their faces, I wonder how bad the upcoming days will be. And at that moment of happiness, I can’t help but think that if we stuck together, everything will be fine.</p>
<p>I couldn’t have been more wrong.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. “Enjoy your date.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Greeks and Romans meet and come up with a plan. And Anya is an awesome wing-woman.</p>
<p>Clarke's POV</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Raven, Octavia and I wait outside the praetor’s place. A guard went inside to inform Lexa that we were here.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure Kane doesn’t get half the respect that Lexa gets around here and Lexa isn’t an immortal.</p>
<p>But with her armour and the way she carries herself, I’m sure she would be mistaken for one.</p>
<p>The guard steps out and motions for us to go inside.</p>
<p>Raven whistles softly in appreciation as we look at the throne room. And then I see Lexa.</p>
<p>I was right. She does look like a goddess. But what’s more intimidating is the black paint that wears around her eyes.</p>
<p>One word. Regal.</p>
<p>I hope that no one caught me staring at Lexa and I quickly shut my wide open mouth.</p>
<p>Anya and Lincoln stand to one side below the 2 steps that lead to the throne. Lexa is sitting on the throne on the right and the left one is empty.</p>
<p>I look curiously at Octavia and Raven. But they seem to be in their own earthly obsession.</p>
<p>Octavia is looking at Lincoln with a small smile on her face and Lincoln is giving her one back in return.</p>
<p>But that’s not what astonishes me. It’s Anya. Anya is looking at us with a different intensity.</p>
<p>I’m mistaken. Not at us. At Raven.</p>
<p>And Raven is staring right back at Anya. Staring. Not even a smirk. Which is kind of unusual for Raven.</p>
<p>I turn to look at Lexa to see whether she has noticed these interactions between them when I find Lexa staring at me with a weird look.</p>
<p>Her face remains impassive but her eyes were expressive enough to notice that she’s struggling with something.</p>
<p>When I don’t think I can take the silence any longer, I clear my throat loudly. And as if everyone else in the room was in a trance, they jump.</p>
<p>Which they possibly were. In a trance.</p>
<p>I can see Lexa visibly snap out of hers as that dreamy look from her eyes vanishes and is replaced with seriousness and purpose.</p>
<p>“I’ve called all of you here to decide. How <em>we </em>proceed with this situation.” Lexa starts.</p>
<p>The authoritative tone of hers catches me off guard. I shiver visibly and I hope no one saw it.</p>
<p>The stupid part of me which for some reason always sounds like Raven says ‘I didn’t think you’d be a bottom, Clarke.’</p>
<p>I push my inappropriate crush and thoughts to the side and try to talk about the information that I hadn’t told Anya and Lincoln and by extension Lexa.</p>
<p>I look at Octavia and Raven. They both nod.</p>
<p>“Before we can continue, I have to tell you all something that I learnt at the mountain.” I take a deep breath ready to receive the worst reaction.</p>
<p>“Some of the Greeks at Camp Half-Blood have joined the Mountain’s cause.”</p>
<p>There’s a couple of seconds silence before Anya loses it. As expected.</p>
<p>“And you didn’t tell this before. Why?” Anya stands right in front of me and snarls.</p>
<p>“It was not appropriate at that time.” But apparently this was the wrong thing to say.</p>
<p>“I pledged my honour. And on my word, Lincoln pledged his. Why didn’t you tell this before?”</p>
<p>I must have mentioned before. But I think it’s worth reiterating. Anya is downright scary.</p>
<p>Raven steps in between before I can reply.</p>
<p>“What would you have her do when a bunch of people argue about killing her? Tell you something that would make her lose the only support she has?”</p>
<p>“And it’s not like I tried to hide it. I have no intention of cheating you or joining the Mountain. I think you should know that by now.” I continue.</p>
<p>“No. We don’t know anything.” It’s not Anya but it’s Lexa who says that.</p>
<p>She pays no concern to the shock and betrayal on my face.</p>
<p>Anya starts backing away to stand with Lincoln.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Clarke. But no we don’t know you.” What the fuck is she raving about?</p>
<p>“But make no mistake. I trust you, Octavia and Raven but it would be wrong to assume or as you say know your intentions. The information that you shared makes me doubt your entire camp’s intentions.”</p>
<p>“Are you being serious right now? We accepted you with open arms when you showed up at our camp raising all sorts of red flags.”</p>
<p>“Yes. And I’m thankful for that. But how will you or anyone be able to tell one’s true intention?”</p>
<p>I take a step forward. “That may be the case here as well.” Anya tries to interrupt but I glare at her and address her.</p>
<p>“Are you all so happy with the way the Gods have been behaving? Will I not find a little bit of dissent here in this camp?”</p>
<p>At Anya and Lincoln’s silence, I continue. “It was a small group of Greeks who went over to the other side hoping that at least then they would be valued more.”</p>
<p>“Careful, Clarke.” Lexa says quietly.</p>
<p>“Are you kidding me, <em>Praetor</em>?” I address Lexa with her official title to show that I’m just as serious about this. There is no sign of the awkward Lexa who offered to walk with me to the barracks.</p>
<p>The temperature drops drastically in the room and Lexa flinches with the sudden change.</p>
<p>This is the second time it has happened today and I can clearly associate the temperature of my surroundings to my level of anger.</p>
<p>“Are you trying to tell me that you were happy about losing your memory completely? Actually stolen by the Gods to bring our two camps closer. You lost your memory and you turned up in what you regard as enemy lands.”</p>
<p>“Are you trying so hard to follow the rules of Gods that you’ve forgotten that you have a brain of your own?”</p>
<p>Anya growls but I’m angry.</p>
<p>“The Gods have been using us as pawns this past week and you’re all fine with it?” I ask the three Romans in the room.</p>
<p>“Careful Clarke. It sounds like you’re talking for the Mountain now.” Anya says quietly with all signs of a threat.</p>
<p>It’s Octavia’s voice which beats me. And I let her do the talking.</p>
<p>“No. And you must do well to remember who saved you from rotting there.” Anya steps forward threateningly. Lincoln holds her back but he also wears a confused expression. Like he doesn’t understand why we are talking like this.</p>
<p>“What we are trying to say is that you can’t write us off as your enemies because some of them deserted us to join our enemy. They left our camp. Which is indication enough that we are all on the same side.”</p>
<p>“We fight for the Gods no matter how much we hate being their pawns.” Raven concludes for Octavia.</p>
<p>“There are a few Greek prisoners along with Romans inside the mountain. It’s our responsibility to rescue them.” I say.</p>
<p>“How were the Greeks captured?” Lexa asks.</p>
<p>“They were all part of the group that left our camp.” At Anya’s roar of outrage, I merely raise a hand to silence her. And to my surprise she lets me. “They found out what was happening here and they tried to leave. Warn us. But instead they were captured.”</p>
<p>Lexa’s face still remains impassive but her eyes give away her surprise. Her eyes move between me and Anya.</p>
<p>I look at Anya and she’s looking at me with surprise. Lincoln is barely hiding his grin.</p>
<p>“Look all I’m saying is that don’t discount all Greeks because of the mistake of a few. We are loyal to our Gods.” I finish to appease Anya whose surprise is now replaced by murderous rage.</p>
<p>“Very well, Clarke. I believe you. We’ll talk later about what we plan to do with the prisoners.” Lexa says after minutes of silence in the room but her tone doesn’t allow for any further talk in this matter. “And now to matters, I wished to discuss before. How many demigods will be willing to fight alongside us?”</p>
<p>“Fight?” Raven asks.</p>
<p>“Yes. Fight.” Lexa repeats as if it’s the most obvious thing ever.</p>
<p>“But you only know your enemy. You don’t know anything else.” Raven replies.</p>
<p>“I’m well aware, Raven. Thank you for pointing out the obvious. When I said fight, I did not mean that we have to march to the mountain tomorrow.” Lexa says with an amused look.</p>
<p>“Right. Of course.” Raven mumbles but she’s deep in thought no longer listening to Lexa.</p>
<p>“To answer your question, around 100 people. Kane will know better.” I reply to Lexa’s question.</p>
<p>“Am I right to assume that the Greeks will fight with us against our enemy, the mountain?” Lexa asks.</p>
<p>Trying hard not to crack a smile at Lexa’s formal question, Clarke nods.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Octavia replies too.</p>
<p>“Since I’ve already been to camp and I know that Kane is your camp’s leader, I need his answer as well.” Lexa states.</p>
<p>“Well, I can tell you that my answer does not change with Kane’s answer.” Octavia says with her chest out.</p>
<p>“Mine too.” Raven says too.</p>
<p>I nod along with them to show my support for their cause. Our cause now.</p>
<p>“We’ll talk with Kane and get back to you.” I say to Lexa.</p>
<p>Lexa nods and she stands up. “Good.”</p>
<p>I nod back at Lexa and turn to look at Anya who is still staring daggers at me. Lincoln beside her smiles at me and I smile back at him.</p>
<p>Lincoln looks at Lexa who nods once. Lexa turns to look at me and I hold her gaze for a while.</p>
<p>The sunlight that escapes the closed windows falls on the left side of her face. And in the sunlight, her green eyes gleam with emotion.</p>
<p>I feel my stomach swoop as I continue staring at her. She’s never looked more beautiful than now. Something in the way she’s looking at me makes my legs weak.</p>
<p>But then the look from her eyes disappear as suddenly as it had appeared. She looks at the empty chair next to her and then looks at me again. But now she looks guilty.</p>
<p>Why? I’m broken out of my staring as an arm pulls me. It’s Raven and she’s smirking. She saw all of it.</p>
<p>I duck my head and I follow Octavia and Lincoln out of the room as I try to hide my blush.</p>
<p>---------------</p>
<p>“Where did you send the Iris message from last time?” I ask Octavia trying in vain to distract raven and stop her from asking me about Lexa.</p>
<p>“More important. What happened in there with Lexa?”</p>
<p>I sigh.</p>
<p>“What? What happened?” Octavia asks with barely hidden glee. Jeez don’t be so obvious.</p>
<p>“Look there’s nothing between us.” I say to both of them.</p>
<p>“Then did I imagine everything?”</p>
<p>I remain silent.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what it was okay. One minute she’s acting all cold and then the next she’s acting weird?”</p>
<p>“Weird? That’s how you describe it?” Octavia says with a laugh.</p>
<p>“Oh yes that reminds me. What is happening between you and Anya?” I round on Raven.</p>
<p>Raven ducks her head and blushes. “Nothing.” She says quickly.</p>
<p>Octavia looks confused. As if she hadn’t seen them before.</p>
<p>“You and Anya? When did this happen?” Octavia asks with a snort.</p>
<p>“Probably when you and Lincoln are busy exchanging heart eyes.” I say with a laugh.</p>
<p>“Heart eyes yes! That’s what Lexa was giving you.” Octavia replies with a laugh, a hint of blush on her face.</p>
<p>I blush and I shrug my thoughts still on Lexa. The way she had suddenly built up walls scared me. Who was the other chair for?</p>
<p>Then I remember. She had the same look on her face when she pulled me out of the lake during Capture the Flag. She pulled me out of the lake and her face was all clouded with guilt and relief. Then during the same day, at the beach when I went to find her only to be dismissed away.</p>
<p>I need to find out who the other occupant is and why it’s empty.</p>
<p>We reach the city. New Rome. How long had we been walking? Between the teasing, blushing and smiling, I’d definitely lost track of the distance we’d walked.</p>
<p>What surprised me most was the talking statue at the entrance. It had no hands or legs. Just a body and a head. And it was talking.</p>
<p>“Hello Terminus.” Octavia bowed and removed her sword and left it on the tray.</p>
<p>“Ah yes. Daughter of Mars.” Terminus’s nose was in a grimace as if looking at us caused him pain.</p>
<p>“Ares actually.” Octavia corrects him. Terminus doesn’t like it.</p>
<p>“And who are your <em>Graceus </em>companions?”</p>
<p>“This is Clarke, daughter of Hades. And Raven, daughter of Hephaestus.”</p>
<p>“Pluto….” Terminus mumbles and looks at me for a few seconds with a frown. I try to maintain eye contact despite feeling highly uneasy.</p>
<p>“Anyways, leave all your weapons here.” Terminus tells Raven and me and we obey.</p>
<p>Octavia gave me her spare dagger. I didn’t have any of my weapons with me after I was mysteriously transported to the Roman forests.</p>
<p>I still haven’t found out who was behind this. And when I do I want to have a frank talk with that God.</p>
<p>“He’s the Roman God of borders. Lincoln brought me here.” Octavia says as we enter the city.</p>
<p>“Yeah. We gathered.” Raven says with a snort.</p>
<p>The first thing I notice is that here people are busy working. They don’t stop to look or gape or hiss curse words at us. Unlike the camp.</p>
<p>The city is full of life with people shopping and merchants calling out to customers.</p>
<p>“Wow. It’s beautiful.”</p>
<p>“Yeah it is.”</p>
<p>“The city is not only full of demigods. Their entire family. Kids and Grandkids. The whole picture.” Raven says with an awestruck expression drinking her surroundings in.</p>
<p>Kids? I never gave it a single thought before. Most demigods don’t cross 20. By then monsters would have caught up to us.</p>
<p>But right now, nothing stops me from imagining my future. A kid or maybe two? Holding hands with Lexa as we walk down the streets of New Rome. It doesn’t seem so bad to me.</p>
<p>One part of me is shocked and embarrassed. But the other part doesn’t stop. I shake my head to remove that thought but it’s stubbornly still there.</p>
<p>And all I can think about is my life here with Lexa as I walk down the streets of New Rome.</p>
<p>-------------</p>
<p>“Clarke, it’s so good to see you.” Kane says. His face is blurred slightly by the water in the message but I can spot his smile.</p>
<p>“Good to see you again, Kane.”</p>
<p>“And before I say anything else, your mom called.” Kane says with a slight frown and I freeze.</p>
<p>Shit! My mom. I haven’t called her in a week and she must be freaking out. I mentally berate myself for behaving even after I knew that she was waiting for my call.</p>
<p>“Yes. She called a day ago. She was worried.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure that’s not all what Abby said.” Raven laughs and I glare at her.</p>
<p>“Well…..” Kane shrugs uneasily. “I might have been on the receiving end of some very nasty words.”</p>
<p>Both Octavia and Raven look at my expression and laugh. Horror. I knew what was waiting for me.</p>
<p>Kane must see that I’m afraid and apprehensive. He says “I’m sure she’ll just be happy that she’s heard from you.”</p>
<p>“No, she won’t.” Raven says with a laugh. I turn to glare at her again but I knew it was the truth. Raven receives a slap to the back of her head from Octavia.</p>
<p>“Shut up, idiot.”</p>
<p>“I’ll talk to her Kane. Thanks.” Well at least I have something to look forward to after this call.</p>
<p>“Anyways, Lexa wanted us to talk to you.” I begin.</p>
<p>“This is about the mountain?”</p>
<p>I nod and tell him all about some of the Greeks deserting us.</p>
<p>Kane scratches his beard in worry. “Yes. I did notice their disappearance but I didn’t think they’d join forces with our enemy.”</p>
<p>Kane zones off for a few seconds deep in thought before he talks again. “I’m sure all the three of you have decided to fight with the Romans.” At our nods, he continues, “Lexa wants to know if Camp Half-Blood stands with her?”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Octavia nods.</p>
<p>“Well looks like the Gods have given us an opportunity to bury the hatchet. And we must use it.” I bristle and Kane notices it.</p>
<p>“What is it, Clarke?”</p>
<p>Raven and Octavia turn to look at me.</p>
<p>“Back in camp, when Lexa first came to our camp, you knew?”</p>
<p>“I did.” He replies.</p>
<p>“The Gods made you vow never to talk about the fact that the Greeks 100 years ago were murderers?” Octavia and Raven look up alarmed at my tone.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Kane replies simply.</p>
<p>“Yes? That’s all? If you knew about this, you could have stopped this from maturing into something this bad. Why didn’t you?”</p>
<p>“It’s not that easy Clarke. The Gods----” Kane starts but I interrupt him.</p>
<p>“It is that easy. You knew that the Romans were being killed by our people for more than 50 years. And yet you didn’t do anything.”</p>
<p>Kane is silent for a while before he responds. “Yes. But there’s no point in talking about what could have been. We need to look forward now.”</p>
<p>Raven scoffs in disagreement. From Octavia’s face, it’s clear that she doesn’t agree with Kane either.</p>
<p>“It’s always been like this with Gods. They send their children to clean their mess. And what do you say every time? No point in talking about what could have been. That’s all you say every time.” Octavia says.  </p>
<p>“What do you want me to say then?” Kane gets up from his chair and approaches the message window.</p>
<p>“Something other than that.” Octavia says back with equal fervour.</p>
<p>“Please tell me what you expect to hear.” After a pause, Kane continues. “I say that because that’s all I know too. However talking ill about the God’s intentions will not help us. That I know for sure.”</p>
<p>Kane gazes at the three of us and sighs heavily. “I know it’s tough. And you’ve all been incredibly brave.”</p>
<p>Kane’s right. There’s no use in arguing with him. The Gods must be pissed off with us as it is now. I don’t want any more ill luck cursed on us.</p>
<p>A few seconds later, Kane says “I’ll start sending the demigods there in batches. Can’t have all sent there at the same time.”</p>
<p>Makes sense. A group of 3 demigods attracts enough monsters. I shudder imagining the amount of monsters that’ll attack a 100 or so group of demigods.</p>
<p>“Are you sending the entire camp?” I ask.</p>
<p>“No, no I suppose not. The older ones. Not the younger ones.” I nod in agreement.</p>
<p>“What about you Kane?” Octavia asks.</p>
<p>“No. No, I cannot interfere with your fates.” Again with that banal statement.</p>
<p>Raven huffs obviously thinking the same thing. I really am sick and tired of hearing the same statement from different people these past 9 years.</p>
<p>“I will talk with Bellamy and he’ll contact you. Be safe and Clarke, please call your mom. I don’t want to hear such words in my life again.” Kane shudders but he sports a smile.</p>
<p>“Wow! Abby made an immortal shudder with her words. You’re toast, Clarke.” Raven says once Kane cuts the call.</p>
<p>“I know.” I say with a sigh of resignation. “But it’s not something I can control. Mom will understand.”</p>
<p>I was so so wrong.</p>
<p>-------------</p>
<p>“Are you being serious right now?” I’m thoroughly pissed. Both Raven and Octavia are refusing to go with me into the city. I have to buy a phone in the city to call my mom.</p>
<p>I was really pissed with the God who did this to me. At least he/she could have given me some of my belongings.</p>
<p>To be fair, I doubt I would have been able to hold on to them after Anya, the Mountain and finally the entire Roman camp itself.</p>
<p>“Sorry, Clarke.” Octavia says not sounding sorry at all.</p>
<p>“You just want to go flirt with Lincoln.” I say to her.</p>
<p>She shrugs but has the decency to look ashamed. “I really wish I could but I told Lincoln that I’ll meet him at the arena.”</p>
<p>I glare at her and then turn to Raven looking expectantly.</p>
<p>“I’m waiting for a reason, Raven.”</p>
<p>“Is me not wanting to face the wrath of Abby not enough?” Raven says.</p>
<p>“Come on. She’s not going to say anything.”</p>
<p>“There I disagree.” Octavia butts in. “Abby’s going to have a hell lot of stuff to say.”</p>
<p>“I thought you had a date.” I glare at her stubbornly till she leaves the room mumbling something about it not being a date.</p>
<p>“Raven, you’re letting me go all by myself into a city which is full of monsters.” I wear my puppy face. She can’t say no now.</p>
<p>But she still does.</p>
<p>“Clarke, that doesn’t work on me anymore.” Raven replies with a laugh. “Look, I’m not lying but I told Anya and Lexa that I’ll look into Becca’s device. Some Romans are also coming along.”</p>
<p>I sigh in defeat. “I hate you both. So much.”</p>
<p>“On the bright side, you get to explore the elusive San Francisco. They always told us never to go anywhere near California because of the Roman camp. Not because of monsters.” Raven says as she gathers her bag and wears it over her shoulder.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I gathered that by now.”</p>
<p>“Tell me how it goes.” Raven grimaces. “No matter how bad. And tell Abby I asked about her.”</p>
<p>“She’s not going to be happy with you.”</p>
<p>“No, she’s not.” Raven replies with a laugh. “But I’m sure, the next time I see her, her anger would have dwindled.”</p>
<p>“Don’t be so sure.” I say as Raven waves to me and leaves our room.</p>
<p>With a sigh, I take some cash from Octavia’s bag and stuff it in my pants.</p>
<p>As I walk out of the barracks, I’m so obsessed with my thoughts that I run into someone.</p>
<p>It’s Lexa and Anya. Of course it had to be them.</p>
<p>“Hey Clarke.” Lexa says with a smile and I’m surprised. I thought I’ll be dealing with the hostile Lexa. Not the smiling one.</p>
<p>Lexa is no longer wearing the paint around her eyes and her entire face glows in the sunlight. She looks fresh and well-rested. She’s wearing a purple T-shirt, the one she was wearing when she arrived at Camp-Half Blood. And jeans.</p>
<p>Which makes her took like a normal teen. I suppose there’s nothing normal about a teenager.</p>
<p>Have I mentioned she’s beautiful? If I did, I think it’s worth mentioning again. She’s beautiful.</p>
<p>“Hey.” My voice comes out breathy before I clear my throat and say a much louder “Hey”. Lexa smiles at that.</p>
<p>“Going to meet Raven?” I ask Lexa and Anya.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Anya nods. Thankfully she’s not wearing her scary look.</p>
<p>Correction: She looks scary even now but not as much as when we met a few hours ago.</p>
<p>“It’s almost sunset. Where are you off to?” Anya points to the dagger around my hip.</p>
<p>It’s almost sunset. The beach at Camp Half Blood. The almost kiss. I blush remembering the moment.</p>
<p>I look at Lexa and she’s also wearing a blush. Remembering the same thing I am.</p>
<p>Anya frowns and then clears up with a smirk taking its place. Did Lexa tell Anya about what happened? I hope not.</p>
<p>“I need to talk to my mom. I’m going out into the city to buy a phone.”</p>
<p>Anya and Lexa nod and remain silent. Then Anya says with a devilish smile “Have you been to the city before?”</p>
<p>“No.” I shake my head.</p>
<p>Lexa is glaring at Anya trying to silently communicate with her but Anya doesn’t pay any attention to Lexa.</p>
<p>“Lexa here is just tagging along. She’s free. She’ll go with you.”</p>
<p>“Oh no it’s alright. I’ll be----” I blush and start stammering.</p>
<p>“She doesn’t want me----” Lexa turns beet red and glares at Anya while Anya’s devilish smile turns into a grin.</p>
<p>“It’s not that----” I stutter. “I mean of course I wouldn’t-----”</p>
<p>“See, Clarke doesn’t mind.” Anya says with a grin and refuses to meet Lexa’s stare. More like glare.</p>
<p>“She must be busy. It should be---” I start again.</p>
<p>“No no. She’s not busy. She’d love to accompany you.” Anya says.</p>
<p>“I can speak for myself.” Lexa replies and pushes Anya away with her arm.</p>
<p>“I’m free. I’ll accompany you.” Lexa says with a blank expression but her eyes give her away. Excitement and eagerness in her eyes.</p>
<p>It makes me happy that she wants to spend time with me. However secretive it might be.</p>
<p>“Okay.” I nod and start walking away from Anya, waiting for Lexa to follow me.</p>
<p>Lexa whispers something to Anya in a harsh voice but I don’t hear it. It couldn’t have been serious because it makes Anya grin even wider.</p>
<p>Lexa and I start walking in some sort of an awkward silence when I hear Anya shout from behind.</p>
<p>“Enjoy your date.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. “What if Pluto doesn’t let me leave the shadows?”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Clexa's first date. It goes well?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Say what you might about the Greeks but I think Clarke will do you some good.” Lincoln says once he enters my room after leading out the Greeks.</p>
<p>I give an unimpressed look to Lincoln and he grins.</p>
<p>“No, I’m being serious. Her world is not black and white. We’ve been thought to see the world like that but the Greeks they don’t.” He says with an impressed expression.</p>
<p>I laugh at Anya’s disgusted face.</p>
<p>“Love has affected your brains.” Anya says with a snort.</p>
<p>“Really? You want to talk about love?” Lincoln challenges.</p>
<p>“What? What about it?” Anya steps forward.</p>
<p>“You and Raven. I’ve seen the looks you exchange. Are you going to tell me that I was imagining that?” Lincoln replies just as sure.</p>
<p>“I’ve noticed it too.” I say in support.</p>
<p>Anya whirls around with an expression of mock surprise.</p>
<p>“You’re talking about looks? That Griffin, she calls you dumb. She insults our ways and you sit there not doing anything?”</p>
<p>“Are you telling me that you didn’t agree with what Clarke said?” I snap.</p>
<p>And Anya opens and closes her mouth, no sounds escaping her mouth.</p>
<p>“You agree with Clarke?” Lincoln’s quiet voice reaches my ears.</p>
<p>“Yes. Yes I do.” I start pacing across the room trying to relieve myself of the frustration I feel.</p>
<p>“The Goddess of Love just wakes up one day and decides that she needs to mess with the life of 2 people? She kidnapped me and stole my memory. For fuck’s sake, I see Clarke when I see Venus.”</p>
<p>Lincoln and Anya both wear shocked expressions. I never told them in detail about my interactions with Venus.</p>
<p>“The worst part is I’m sure Venus had nothing to do with this quest at all. She just sent me to the Greek Camp so I could get to know Clarke.”</p>
<p>“You don’t think Venus did the exact same thing for Clarke?” Anya asks disbelief in her tone.</p>
<p>“No. Venus’s purpose was to bring me and Clarke together for the sake of love. Moreover she didn’t want me rescuing Vulcan.”</p>
<p>“How do you know that?”</p>
<p>“She told Octavia, Raven and me in as many words that she’d prefer if I went on a quest for ‘love’.” I do air quotes with my fingers.</p>
<p>All of the feelings around Costia and Clarke start to pour out.</p>
<p>I sit down in the stairs at the base of my throne. “I had just burnt Costia’s body the day before. And the next day I was almost kissing Clarke.” The guilt I feel, it isn’t easy to convey but they get it.</p>
<p>Anya approaches me slowly and says “You have every right to move on, Lexa.” Her voice is so soft and I’ve only heard it a couple of times before.</p>
<p>“Costia would want you to move on.” Anya repeats again.</p>
<p>Lincoln comes and sits next to me. “You shouldn’t feel guilty, Lexa. Costia died the day she disappeared.”</p>
<p>It’s harsh and merciful at the same time. It’s the truth and maybe it’s what I need right now.</p>
<p>“The Mountain turned her into a reaper. Something unrecognisable. The person we captured wasn’t our Costia. Costia died a long time ago.”</p>
<p>It takes me a while to realise that the wetness on my cheeks is tears. I’m crying. I wipe them away clumsily.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry Lexa.” Anya says heavily and the softness in her tone makes me sob even more.</p>
<p>“Good Zeus! We were just having a meeting with the Greeks and now I’m crying.” I say with a laugh but that doesn’t stop the tears.</p>
<p>It’s like some sort of a dam opened and now I’m simply unable to close it.</p>
<p>Lincoln laughs quietly.</p>
<p>We remain seated there for a while not saying anything. I’m simply grateful for them both simply just being there.</p>
<p>Finally I say “I thought you were going to say something about Love being weakness.”</p>
<p>Anya just shrugs. Lincoln scoffs.</p>
<p>“I don’t know which idiot came up with that.”</p>
<p>“I think it was Titus.” Anya says after a moment of quiet contemplation. “And no, I’m not going to say that again, ever.”</p>
<p>“It’s because of Raven yeah?” Lincoln interrupts with a grin.</p>
<p>Anya surprisingly laughs. I did not expect her to laugh. More like look at Lincoln and flip him the finger.</p>
<p>“No. It was because of you Lexa. I saw how happy you were with Costia. And then when you lost her, Lexa, you were nothing but miserable.”</p>
<p>This really must be the end because the last person I expected to talk to about love was Anya.</p>
<p>Lincoln is also surprised. Anya is the scary, miserable terror. The one I had witnessed just a few minutes ago with Clarke.</p>
<p>“For a long time, you looked like you were broken. But now, after this quest, you seem whole again.”</p>
<p>Lincoln nods in agreement but his surprise at Anya still hasn’t vanished from his face. He’s almost wearing an eager face almost as if he’s been waiting for this for a long time.</p>
<p>“Being with those Greeks, it’s helped you.” Anya finishes. It sounds like she doesn’t like the way it happened but she’s just happy with the end result.</p>
<p>Lincoln remains silent not having the heart to tease Anya after such words.</p>
<p>“I took you for a lot of things, Anya” Lincoln says eventually with a straight face. “But I didn’t think you’d be a romantic.”</p>
<p>And the glare was back. Lincoln grins at that.</p>
<p>I laugh. “I was afraid that we lost you there for a bit.” I say and bring my hand over her shoulder and drag her closer.</p>
<p>Anya wears a sheepish look. Almost embarrassed at what she’d actually said.</p>
<p>“Thanks Anya.” I whisper.</p>
<p>-------------</p>
<p>I would have been really glad if romantic Anya didn’t show again. I almost missed the old Anya. But she made an appearance again just outside the barracks when Clarke walked straight into us.</p>
<p>And she just called it a date.</p>
<p>After the talk, I went back to my quarters to clean up my face. Lincoln said I looked like a raccoon which sent Anya howling with laughter.</p>
<p>Lincoln was almost jumping with joy when he left me and Anya a while later. No doubt to go on a date with Octavia.</p>
<p>Anya had to go meet with Raven about Becca’s device and even if she was very casual about the meeting, I knew she was looking forward to it.</p>
<p>When I asked her why I wasn’t called for meeting about the device, she glared at me. Then I realised with a laugh, it was actually a date.</p>
<p>I tried really hard not to tease Anya about this but I couldn’t stop myself. Cleverly disguising her date as an official meeting sounds like something Anya only would do.</p>
<p>And when I said I was going to come along with her to meet Raven (my false pretence to see their date was that I was merely the concerned and devoted Praetor who wanted to take down the mountain).</p>
<p>I suppose that wasn’t a false ruse at all.</p>
<p>But thanks to a newly reformed Anya, I was on a ‘date’ with Clarke. And honestly I couldn’t ask for anything better.</p>
<p>-------------</p>
<p>“Your city, New Rome, is very beautiful.” Clarke starts off our conversation tentatively.</p>
<p>“Yeah. Yeah. It is.” I reply back with something akin to pride in my voice.</p>
<p>Clarke looks at me and smiles. Her hair is golden in the sunlight and I don’t know what to admire. Her eyes or her hair.</p>
<p>Which both seem vain yes, but wow Clarke is beautiful.</p>
<p>“You’ve been here all your life?” She asks and before I can answer she asks another question “Sorry, but how long is all your life?” Clarke smiles.</p>
<p>I laugh in reply.</p>
<p>“I’ll be 20 this fall. And no. I didn’t come to camp till I was 11.”</p>
<p>“It varies from person to person. Lupa, trains the demigods and then when she thinks they are worthy enough, she sends them to camp.”</p>
<p>“Wow. That sounds tough.” Clarke whistles.</p>
<p>“Is that not how it works at your camp?”</p>
<p>“No. Satyrs are sent on a quest to find half-bloods and then bring them to camp unscathed. I only arrived at camp when I was 12.”</p>
<p>I imagine a chubby and cute Clarke with the same electrifying blue eyes and blond hair.</p>
<p>“Satyrs?”</p>
<p>“How is it that you people call them? Fauns, yes.” She exclaims.</p>
<p>“And you trust Fauns with demigods?” I rise my eyebrows to show my confusion at the Greeks entrusting the care of demigods at the hands of such creatures.</p>
<p>“We, Greeks, have a lot of respect for them.” Clarke replies slightly coldly and I curse myself.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry Clarke. I didn’t mean to offend. It’s just that we have different takes.”</p>
<p>“Very different yes.” Clarke says with a bit of hostility and I know where she’s coming from.</p>
<p>The first date in almost 5 years and I had exactly 5 minutes to mess it all up.</p>
<p>Clarke sighs. “I’m sorry, Lexa. All you’ve done is help me and I’ve been acting like an idiot.”</p>
<p>Why is she apologising?</p>
<p>“No, Clarke. You have nothing to be sorry for.” Then I blabber, “It’s been almost 5 years since I’ve been on a date. So forgive me for being rusty.”</p>
<p>Clarke stops abruptly and her eyes since in the sunset. She wears a small smile. Tender. I want to kiss that smile.</p>
<p>And then I realise, I just blabbered.</p>
<p>“It’s a date?” Clarke asks me with a smile. I turn deep red trying to dig my way out of the pit but simply only making it worse.</p>
<p>“Uhh—I mean yeah. But if you don’t want it to be, it’s okay. It’s---” I talk so quickly that I’m not sure she even caught what I said.</p>
<p>I shut up when Clarke steps closer all the while looking into my eyes.</p>
<p>“It’s a date.” She says smile slowly spreading.</p>
<p>At my dumb nod, she smiles again and continues walking. I’m still standing there in surprise.</p>
<p>Did I just ask her out and did she say yes?</p>
<p>Clarke turns around and looks at me with a smile. “Are you coming or what?”</p>
<p>I blush at the innuendo and I jog to catch up with her.</p>
<p>“How old are you, Clarke?” I ask her abruptly. The fuck is wrong with me?</p>
<p>She didn’t ask for my age so bluntly. I blush again and look away knowing that Clarke is staring at me.</p>
<p>“You’re right. You are rusty.” She says with a laugh. And if it was anyone else, I would have wanted the ground to open up and take me under.</p>
<p>But with Clarke….She makes it easy. So I laugh and say “I warned you.”</p>
<p>“I know.” She says. She’s grinning but her eyes, they’re soft. They are saying ‘I know and I don’t care.’</p>
<p>“Come on. We have to take this underground canal and it’ll lead us to a bridge over the Tiber.” I say.</p>
<p>I lead her into the tunnels still smiling like a fool.</p>
<p>“Are there no guards here?”</p>
<p>“There are but Tiber offers protection. So not many guards here as on some of the other entrances.”</p>
<p>Clarke nods and we keep walking through the tunnels when she suddenly says “I’m 19.”</p>
<p>Right of course. She laughs at the look on my face.</p>
<p>“You have that rainbow goddess right? Why didn’t you try contacting your mom through her?” I ask her after a while.</p>
<p>“It doesn’t work for mortals. So I usually have a phone with me always in camp.”</p>
<p>“Must be nice.”</p>
<p>“Nice? I’m sure you’re going to hear some of the words she’s going to want to share.” Clarke says with a laugh.</p>
<p>I laugh in reply. “Surely, it won’t be that bad.”</p>
<p>“It will be.” Clarke says shaking her head.</p>
<p>We reach the end of the tunnel and I see guards.</p>
<p>“Wow. That’s impressive.” Clarke says pointing to my face.</p>
<p>I touch my face. “What is?”</p>
<p>“How quickly you wore your mask.”</p>
<p>“My mask?”</p>
<p>“It’s what I call your praetor’s face.” She says with a small smile.</p>
<p>Her smile falls off slowly and I know she’s thinking the same thing. The argument.</p>
<p>“For what it’s worth Clarke, I agree with you.” I start tentatively.</p>
<p>“Agree with me on what?” She asks frowning slightly.</p>
<p>“About the Gods.” I say with a sigh. “They’ve used us as pawns. And they will continue to do so.”</p>
<p>“Yes. I know. That is our fate.” Clarke replies with a smile but this time it doesn’t reach her eyes.</p>
<p>“So, Lexa agrees with me but the Praetor doesn’t?” Clarke asks with a smirk.</p>
<p>“I believe so.” I try to stop my mouth from spreading into a smile but I know from Clarke’s face that it wasn’t successful.</p>
<p>“How long have you been the Praetor?”</p>
<p>“4 years now.”</p>
<p>Clarke is silent suddenly and I know what she’s going to ask next but it still doesn’t stop me from freezing.</p>
<p>“Why is the other chair empty?”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have----” Clarke retreats hastily.</p>
<p>“No no. It’s alright. I know this question had to come up.” I take a deep breath and try to continue.</p>
<p>“Lexa.” Clarke’s arm on mine stops me. Her eyes shine with genuine concern and apology. “You don’t have to tell me now. You can tell me whenever you want to.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” I try to keep my voice from cracking but I think it does anyway.</p>
<p>“Yes.” She says gently.</p>
<p>We exit the tunnels and the guards stand straight when they see me.</p>
<p>“Praetor.” One says. I nod in acknowledgement. I catch them both glaring at Clarke but there’s nothing I can expect from them.</p>
<p>We, Romans have been brought up with the thought that the Greeks are our enemies. A quest and a memory wipe helped me figure out that they have no idea about the enmity between the 2 camps.</p>
<p>“Good to have you back, Praetor.” The other one says and I nod again.</p>
<p>Clarke and I start walking towards the bridge up a steep hill leaving the two guards behind. A flight of stairs leads us to the bridge.</p>
<p>“Again. The mask was impressive.” She says with a grin.</p>
<p>I smile back at her grateful for the change in topic.</p>
<p>“But fair warning. It doesn’t work on me.”</p>
<p>I raise an eyebrow. “It doesn’t?”</p>
<p>“No. Your eyes give your emotions away.” Clarke whispers looking straight into my eyes.</p>
<p>I don’t when or where it starts. A gradual warmth starts spreading throughout my body at her words.</p>
<p>I’m speechless but she must understand. From my eyes.</p>
<p>She smiles shyly.</p>
<p>“I suppose I should work harder on my mask. Anya will be disappointed to know that her lessons were in vain.”</p>
<p>“Will you?” Clarke asks. “Work on your mask?”</p>
<p>I smile at her and say “No.”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Don’t. It’s perfect.” Clarke says with a soft smile and all I want to do is kiss that smile.</p>
<p>Instead I say “I know.”</p>
<p>That makes Clarke laugh.</p>
<p>Time passes by me as we make our way to the nearest store in search of a phone, busy talking and laughing.</p>
<p>It’s so easy being with her. Takes no effort to get to know her at all.</p>
<p>I learn that she’s completed her first year of college and is aspiring to be a doctor. I couldn’t be more impressed, even if I tried. And she knew it.</p>
<p>“What about you?” Clarke asks.</p>
<p>“I’ve never been to school all my life.” And at that, Clarke’s mouth falls open.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” I say with a laugh. “I mean I did attend primary school. I was 8 years when I last when to school.”</p>
<p>“What happened?” She comes closer to me.</p>
<p>“I lost my mother.” I hear Clarke’s soft gasp.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.” She says and she lays her hand on mine.</p>
<p>“Don’t be. It was a long time ago.” I reassure her with a smile and continue. “Raven and Octavia must have told you about Luna.”</p>
<p>At her nod, I continue. “Well, she left me a while later in Lupa’s care. I trained with Lupa for 3 years before she finally deemed me worthy enough to come to the Roman camp. And….here I am.” I finish lamely.</p>
<p>“So…you’re an illiterate?” She asks with a grin.</p>
<p>I fake gasp and clutch my heart with my free hand. “How could you, Clarke!”</p>
<p>She laughs at that.</p>
<p>“No no. I learnt later on. Just the basics of history though.” I say with a shrug.</p>
<p>“History?” She asks.</p>
<p>“Yeah. And before you ask I can write English.” I fake glare at Clarke.</p>
<p>And she pouts!</p>
<p>“That was my next question.” I laugh at her expression and a few seconds later she joins me too.</p>
<p>A few seconds later she says quietly with a frown. “I’m not sure I can go back to college this fall.”</p>
<p>With the mountain and the upcoming battle, all our futures were uncertain. And not for the first time that night, I wondered if this date was a good idea.</p>
<p>But then I remember Clarke’s smile and the way her eyes seem to glow when she talks and at that moment I don’t care about anything at all.</p>
<p>--------------</p>
<p>I stand a respectful distance away from Clare as she talks on the phone to her mother. I keep an eye out for monsters.</p>
<p>They smell normal demigods quickly enough and here we were in the middle of the city, 2 children of the Big Three and one is talking on the phone.</p>
<p>I’m glad that I came along with her.</p>
<p>There’s a silence from Clarke’s side as her face is in some sort of a grimace.</p>
<p>She then says “San Francisco”. Rather quietly.</p>
<p>And over the screech and horns of the vehicles around us, I hear a shriek “<em>San Francisco?</em>”</p>
<p>Clarke’s face momentarily twists in pain, no doubt, her ear partially if not fully deaf.</p>
<p>“Mom, please stop shouting.” She’s holding her phone a few inches away from her ear.</p>
<p>Clarke catches my eye, grins and rolls her eyes before turning away to talk again.</p>
<p>Clarke is done 10 minutes later and approaches me with a heavy face.</p>
<p>“Everything okay?” I ask in concern.</p>
<p>“Yeah. She’s mad. She was ready to come pick me up and take me back home.” Clarke says with a sheepish smile.</p>
<p>I laugh and I catch Clarke staring at me. She turns away blushing. There’s a warm feeling in my chest and my heart flutters.</p>
<p>“How did you convince her?”</p>
<p>“I’m not sure I did.”</p>
<p>I laugh again and this time she joins me.</p>
<p>“I did say I’ll call her every day. But I’m not sure she was convinced.” Clarke grins.</p>
<p>“Well, if an angry woman turns up on the camp’s border asking for you, I don’t need to be too worried.” I say and she shoves me lightly.</p>
<p>“I’m hungry.” She says and pouts.</p>
<p>I laugh and give her my hand. She takes it happily and I say “I think there’s a McDonald’s nearby.”</p>
<p>------------</p>
<p>I grin as I watch Clarke stuff down fries.</p>
<p>“What?” I think that’s what she says but it’s hard to say when her mouth is so full.</p>
<p>I grin and shake my head.</p>
<p>She swallows. “I swear I’m not this person.” She waves towards her plate. “It’s Raven. Almost always. But I’m really hungry.”</p>
<p>“You would think that a person on a first date behaves with a little bit more dignity.” I smirk.</p>
<p>Her mouth falls open.</p>
<p>“Ew! Close your mouth, Clarke.” I laugh and scrunch my nose.</p>
<p>Clarke makes it a point to chew with her mouth open.</p>
<p>I’ve never seen this goofy, stupid and adoringly cute person before. Yet here she was annoying me.</p>
<p>“Eat, Lexa.” She orders.</p>
<p>“Yes, dear.” It slips out. I didn’t mean to use that. I was making fun of her yet somehow I’m the one who’s embarrassed and red.</p>
<p>Clarke doesn’t say anything but wears a small smile, her cheeks slightly red.</p>
<p>I finish my burger in silence not trusting my blabber mouth with what it thinks seems to be smart remarks only for it turn out as a joke and embarrassment for me.</p>
<p>I catch Clarke looking at me differently and I make it a point to ask her on the way home.</p>
<p>Home? After my initial confusion, I let myself be taken away by my thoughts.</p>
<p>Clarke staying back with me and going to college here and then returning home to me every night.</p>
<p>It’s a very forward looking thought but a day ago I would have cared. But after spending time with Clarke, I’m at a loss as to how while away my time when she isn’t with me.</p>
<p>Clarke had paid for our food I suddenly remember.</p>
<p>When I ask her, she merely shrugs with a grin and says “Octavia’s treat.”</p>
<p>This time, when we leave the restaurant, I reach out for her hand just as she reaches for mine.</p>
<p>And I didn’t think this day could get any better. A walk under the stars with Clarke. What an end to a wonderful date.</p>
<p>I was wrong. It did get better.</p>
<p>-------------</p>
<p>Just as we reach the bridge, I stop walking. Clarke turns and looks at me quizzically.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?” Clarke asks with a small frown.</p>
<p>“I want to tell you about….” I take a deep breath. “…Costia.”</p>
<p>“Okay.” Clarke nods slowly. She comes closer but she leaves some space between us.</p>
<p>“Costia was the other praetor. She disappeared 2 years ago when she was on patrol in the woods.”</p>
<p>“She was captured by the mountain.” Clarke says and I nod.</p>
<p>“Yeah. We were together for a year when she disappeared. I almost lost it, you know?” I laugh hollowly. “Anya tells me I was ready to charge into the mountain. I don’t remember any of this. They had to knock me out to bring me to camp.”</p>
<p>Clarke squeezes my hand.</p>
<p>“We were on the lookout for her. Constantly for 2 years. Everyone was fed up with me. Lincoln and Anya too. But they’d never say it. And then suddenly one day, a patrol group led by Lincoln saw a bunch of reapers.”</p>
<p>Clarke draws a sharp breath.</p>
<p>“Yeah, they had turned her into one.” I say and there’s a soul taste in my mouth.</p>
<p>“We took her alive but she still died. She didn’t even recognise me.” My voice breaks.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Lexa.” Clarke murmurs into my ear as she pulls me into a hug.</p>
<p>She let’s go of me slowly. “I’m sorry that happened Lexa. We’ll find a way to bring back the reapers.”</p>
<p>I nod slowly.</p>
<p>We’re silent for a while till Clarke says “Thanks for telling me this, Lexa.”</p>
<p>I try to smile but it comes off more as a grimace.</p>
<p>“I’d like to do something.” Clarke says with a tentative smile. “I’d like to take you through the shadows.”</p>
<p>I freeze. “What?”</p>
<p>“Shadow-travel.”</p>
<p>“Won’t it knock you out?”</p>
<p>“There are a lot more shadows now than during the morning. It’s easier now. So?” She holds her hand out with a smile.</p>
<p>I’m hesitant. I’ve never travelled before but it sounds like a terrifying experience.</p>
<p>“How about I fly with you?” I say after taking her outstretched hand.</p>
<p>Clarke pouts. “I can’t fly. Zeus will blast me out of the sky.”</p>
<p>“What if Pluto doesn’t let me leave the shadows?”</p>
<p>Clarke’s musical laughter reaches my ears. “Zeus personally told Hades that he will do so at the first chance he gets.”</p>
<p>I’m astonished. “Did Hades promise anything like that?” She asks.</p>
<p>“I hope not.”</p>
<p>“Then I take it that you’re saying yes?” She says happily.</p>
<p>“Yes.” I grumble but move towards her willingly.</p>
<p>“I didn’t hear it.” Clarke points to her ear.</p>
<p>I glare at her. “We’re going now or not going at all.”</p>
<p>And then suddenly I feel like someone just dumped a bucket full of ice on my head. </p>
<p>Its dark all around and I look beside me to find Clarke but I don’t see her. I can still feel her hand in mine. And I feel the squeeze she gives me.</p>
<p>Just when I think I’m probably going to freeze, I’m out. I breathe in a big mouthful of the warm Californian air.</p>
<p>Despite all that I shiver.</p>
<p>Clarke is grinning next to me.</p>
<p>“Please don’t make me do that again.” Clarke laughs again.</p>
<p>She still hasn’t let go of my hand nor do I want to.</p>
<p>“You brought us close to the barracks.” I grin at her.</p>
<p>“I did.” She says with an arrogant smirk.</p>
<p>Then, she’s kissing me. Or wait was it me?</p>
<p>Don’t know and don’t care.</p>
<p>Her lips fit perfectly with mine. The kiss lasts for less than 5 seconds but I’m still breathless.</p>
<p>My lips automatically turn into a smile when I see her. I don’t know how long we stood there staring at each other. Remembering the feel of her lips against mine.</p>
<p>Then suddenly we’re kissing again. Her arms come around my neck as she pulls me in closer.</p>
<p>Our bodies fit snugly as I pull her impossibly closer by her hips.</p>
<p>A shout startles us and we separate. I felt on top of the world kissing her but now…I’m not so sure. Something settles heavily in my stomach.</p>
<p>Clarke’s head is down, her cheeks red.</p>
<p>I step closer to her but don’t offer her my hand. She notices but says nothing. “Come on.”</p>
<p>It feels like there was an imperceptible shift. I start thinking about the kiss, the impending war, Costia and my feelings for Clarke.</p>
<p>We start walking towards the barracks. There are a lot more people near the barracks but still few. Many people must have already retired for the night.</p>
<p>We walk in silence till Clarke’s part of the building came. I really want to tell her what’s going on my mind.</p>
<p>I didn’t think of it during the date but ever since we returned, I wonder how this is going to work. As partners or as allies?</p>
<p>Clarke stops and turns around facing me. She stays silent waiting for me to say something.</p>
<p>When I don’t, she says with a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes “My stop.”</p>
<p>I nod my head stiffly still at a loss of words. The smile slowly falters when she sees me remain silent.</p>
<p>“Say something.” Her voice takes a pleading tone.</p>
<p>Maybe I should have said something else other than “See you tomorrow”. I step back watching Clarke’s face as her guard comes back up.</p>
<p>I smile before turning around and had I turned around and looked, I would have seen that Clarke was still looking at me.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. “I have a brother.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aftermaths of the date. One step forward and two steps backward?</p>
<p>Clarke's POV</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“There she is.” Octavia exclaims from her bed as I walk into our room.</p>
<p>“Why the long face, Griffin?” Raven asks from her bed.</p>
<p>I don’t answer Raven and go just fall into my bed with a sigh.</p>
<p>I knew that I couldn’t expect much from Lexa. I felt her retreating back into her shell right after we were very rudely separated from our kiss by a random shout.</p>
<p>“What did Mama Griffin say?” Raven asks again this time concern peeping in her tone.</p>
<p>I cover my face with my hands and groan as I remember my conversation with my mom.</p>
<p>“She almost left to come pick me up.”</p>
<p>Raven and Octavia are silent. Perturbed by their silence, I remove my hands from my face to see Raven hand Octavia some cash.</p>
<p>“What the hell? You guys bet on my mom’s reaction?”</p>
<p>Both look startled at my tone. To be fair, they’ve bet before on things like this but I’ve never reacted like this before.</p>
<p>I glare at them for a couple seconds- Raven halfway through her action, just frozen and looking at me in surprise.</p>
<p>“Your date with Lexa didn’t go well?” Raven asks me. Anya must have told her.</p>
<p>“How was your date with Anya?” I ask her in return.</p>
<p>Raven merely raises her eyebrow in lieu of an answer.</p>
<p>“It was great.” I sigh. “Then once we returned to camp, she sort of closed back up.”</p>
<p>My head was staring to ache. Maybe it was my heart that was aching. I knew that I shouldn’t expect much from her. Not when she’d just lost her girlfriend hardly a couple of weeks ago.</p>
<p>But she wasn’t the broody person I’d known her to be on the date. I honestly hadn’t had so much fun on a date ever. I always felt that there was some connection missing with others till I met Lexa.</p>
<p>But after she left me at the barracks with a mere ‘See you tomorrow’ after an amazing date, I think back to the date. Maybe I was the only one enjoying.</p>
<p>I know that it wasn’t true. Lexa had lightened up considerably as if she was no longer carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.</p>
<p>She could have just talked to me. If she had, I’d probably told her the same thing she was so hesitant to talk about. That we shouldn’t disclose our relationship to others.</p>
<p>Relationship? A fling? A date only? What was this? Surely the start of something pleasant.</p>
<p>“What happened?” Octavia asks.</p>
<p>I sit up in my bed to remove my shoes and I shrug.</p>
<p>“Not important.”</p>
<p>“From the look on your face, it looks pretty important.” Raven says as I collapse back on bed.</p>
<p>“It was great. Probably the best date ever.” I admit waiting for their reactions. But they remain silent as if it was something obvious.</p>
<p>I mentally shake my head and I continue. “We talked a lot. I got to know more about her.”</p>
<p>“At the very end, I offered her a trip back to camp by shadow-travel.” Now this gets reactions from both of them.</p>
<p>“Don’t you hate it?” Octavia wears a surprised face.</p>
<p>“I mean, it’s not my favourite way to travel but after the mountain, I think it’ll be valuable for us.” I shrug. “She was sad so----”</p>
<p>“Sad? Why was she sad?” Raven interrupts me.</p>
<p>“Nothing. Not important. Anyways that’s why I offered.” I finish hastily. Raven doesn’t look too convinced.</p>
<p>I continue. “Anyways I brought us back near the barracks….and we kissed.”</p>
<p>“You did?” Raven’s voice goes up two octaves.</p>
<p>I narrow my eyes at her. “How much did you bet?”</p>
<p>Octavia grins when Raven looks ashamed and smiles sheepishly. I glare at Octavia and she loses her grin.</p>
<p>“Well?” I repeat.</p>
<p>“50 dollars.” Raven answers with a quiet face.</p>
<p>“You guys are unbelievable.” But my tone lacks bite and anger. Just exhaustion.</p>
<p>“What happened after that?”</p>
<p>“Well, we broke our kiss and I think she realised what she’d just done.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Raven looks puzzled.</p>
<p>“I don’t know I guess. Just that she drew away.” I reply in a small voice.</p>
<p>“Maybe she thought that you wanted a relationship?” Octavia asks.</p>
<p>“I don’t want one. I know Lexa isn’t ready for one.” I admit.</p>
<p>“But you are?”</p>
<p>“Probably not. Not with a war coming.”</p>
<p>“Then why did you go on a date with her?” Raven sounds very curious.</p>
<p>“Don’t know. I don’t know.” I snap. “Sorry.”</p>
<p>“Why did you both go on dates?” I ask them. I really want their take on things.</p>
<p>“First of all,” Raven starts pointing a finger at herself. “I didn’t go on a date. More like a hook-up.” Raven says with a grin.</p>
<p>“Gross.” I say and laugh.</p>
<p>“Second, I think I can talk for Octavia when I say that she’s head over heels for that guy.” Raven says with a smirk.</p>
<p>Octavia blushes. “You don’t talk for me, Raven.” She says with a smile. “And I’m not head over heels for him.” Octavia makes air quotes at head over heels.</p>
<p>“I just really like him. It’s only been a couple of days but I feel comfortable when I’m with him.” She says happily.</p>
<p>I smile at her. Raven just sticks out her tongue at Octavia and says “Sap.”</p>
<p>I laugh as Octavia glares at her.</p>
<p>“Anyways to answer your question, Raven was hooking up with Anya and I was on a date with Lincoln. I know what I’m getting into.”</p>
<p>I raise an eyebrow at her and she continues. “Look, Clarke something or the other is always going to come at us. There’s never a right time for it you know?”</p>
<p>Both Raven and I are stunned into silence at Octavia’s sudden wit.</p>
<p>“Wow. Love has made your head clearer.” I say with a grin and Raven snorts.</p>
<p>Octavia throws a pillow straight at my face. It hits my face and a gasp of pain leaves my mouth.</p>
<p>“Asshole.” I glare her. I throw the pillow back at her lightly.</p>
<p>“Before I forget O, thanks for the treat.” I grin wickedly as her eyes widen. She reaches for her bag and searches for her money.</p>
<p>She glares at me as I avoid her gaze and rub my stomach so that she can see it.</p>
<p>Raven laughs and I join her.</p>
<p>“Ask Bellamy to bring more.” I say airily when Octavia continues glaring at me.</p>
<p>“Oh that reminds me, did he call you?” I ask Octavia. She shakes her head now looking helplessly for spare cash in her bag.</p>
<p>“Probably tomorrow. I have to ask him to get my stuff too.” I add.</p>
<p>“Chill O! Bellamy can get us more. Besides, we won’t really need much of it anyways.” Raven says with a yawn.</p>
<p>I stare at Raven incredulously. “You woke up less than 10 hours ago.”</p>
<p>Raven just smacks her lips before smirking “Multiple orgasms does that to you.”</p>
<p>Both my pillow and Octavia’s hit her at the same time.</p>
<p>--------------</p>
<p>I wake up very early the next morning. The few hours of sleep that I managed to get were filled with disturbing dreams. I was sure that a couple of them ended with me dying.</p>
<p>I sigh as I make my way to the bathrooms to see that some of the Romans were still asleep.</p>
<p>I’m glad. This means I can spend few hours with my thoughts in silence without stares filled with disgust and mistrust being thrown at me.</p>
<p>I shiver when the first drops of cold water hit me but I gradually get used to it. I stand under the shower trying to wreck my brain about the dreams I had. But it’s to no avail because I’m still blanking.</p>
<p>My thoughts slowly shift to the mountain. What are they doing right now? What did that upload that Becca did mean for them?</p>
<p>Something tells me that I’m missing something very important but I’m simply not able to wrap my mind around it.</p>
<p>So I decide to go to the temple hill before I return to the barracks for breakfast.</p>
<p>It’s barely the crack of dawn and the rising sun leaves a hue of orange and red. My hand itches to draw the beauty.</p>
<p>“Hey!” Someone calls and I turn around.</p>
<p>I see a tall blonde girl waving at me. I point a finger at myself and say “Me?”</p>
<p>I’m very surprised. I’ve never talked to a Roman other than Anya and Lincoln. I remind myself that Lexa was also a roman and I refuse to count Titus. That idiot never listened to me.</p>
<p>“Yeah, you.” She says with a laugh. “There’s no one else around for miles.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t think someone would want to talk to me.” I say rather coldly.</p>
<p>Her eyebrows go up. “Are you kidding?”</p>
<p>At my frown, she laughs and says “Oh! You don’t know.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“You’re the talk of the camp.”</p>
<p>I snort and I continue walking. She walks beside me. “I gathered that.”</p>
<p>“No one has ever returned alive from the Mountain. And bam you come back and bring along one of our centurions.” The respect and awe is her voice stuns me.</p>
<p>I narrow my eyes at her. “All I’ve been accustomed to is death threats and glares.” I say with a lot of hostility.</p>
<p>She waves her hand at that. “Nah, don’t mind them. There are a few like me who think you’re awesome.”</p>
<p>I crack a smile at that. “Awesome? I’m not so sure about that.”</p>
<p>She huffs. “Awesome and modest. We don’t get that combination around anymore.” She replies with a smile.</p>
<p>I smile and offer her my hand. “Well then, I’m Clarke Griffin. Pleasure to meet you.”</p>
<p>“Niylah Langford. Daughter of Venus.” She shakes my hand.</p>
<p>“Langford? You’re English?”</p>
<p>She grins at me wearing a mock-surprised look. “Not many people figure my country of origin from my name. Kudos.” I laugh at her mock bow. “Yeah, I’m from England.”</p>
<p>“Is there no camp in Britain?”</p>
<p>“Well, that’s a new one. No one’s ever asked me that before.” She says with a grin.</p>
<p>“Never?” Surely she’s lying.</p>
<p>“Never.” She shakes her head solemnly but her eyes glint with laughter. “And to answer your question, my dad and I moved here shortly after I was born.”</p>
<p>I fall into easy conversation with her as we jointly make our way to the temple hill.</p>
<p>“Why are you going there?”</p>
<p>I shrug. “Clear my head?”</p>
<p>“Are you asking me or telling me?”</p>
<p>I shrug and send her a grin in return.</p>
<p>“Full disclosure, Pluto isn’t one of the more respected gods here.” She says mildly.</p>
<p>“I get it. Hades isn’t too.” I say sadly. He’s misunderstood almost all the time.</p>
<p>“To be fair, we’re all very scared of him so we don’t do or say anything against him.”</p>
<p>“At least, you guys do that.”</p>
<p>Niylah looks at me closely for a couple of seconds before she says “I didn’t expect you to be like this.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“I would have expected to meet someone…darker.” She says.</p>
<p>“You assumed all children of Hades would be dark?” I say with a grin. Niylah smiles clearly happy that I didn’t take it the wrong way.</p>
<p>“I was carried away by the convention. Though all both of you have done is break the tradition.”</p>
<p>I freeze at that and slowly turn to meet her eyes. “Both of you?”</p>
<p>Niylah releases a surprised laugh. “Oh my God. No one told you?” And at the shake of my head, she says with a grin “Clarke, you have a brother.”</p>
<p>-------------</p>
<p>My head is buzzing with all this new information as Niylah and I enter the dining hall to find it full.</p>
<p>Just when I enter, all the conversation stops and every single head turns to look at me.</p>
<p>I refuse to look away and instead grab my breakfast before I look around to see Octavia and Raven. I see them eating with Lincoln, Anya and a couple of others.</p>
<p>Despite my resolution not to look for Lexa, my eyes betray me and I look for her. My eyes meet hers.</p>
<p>She’s seated at the very head of the hall all alone, the seat next to hers empty. She has her Praetor mask on but I know that she’s confused. Is she angry at me?</p>
<p>“Come on. I see my friends.” I say to Niylah and she smiles at me in return.</p>
<p>“Hey guys.” I say as I sit down. Niylah sits down next to me.</p>
<p>“Hi Lincoln. Anya.” Niylah says and Lincoln smiles at her politely. Anya merely grunts in response.</p>
<p>“This is Octavia-----” I start.</p>
<p>“Raven. I know.” Niylah says with a grin and a smirk. Raven looks pleasantly surprised. Octavia rolls her eyes.</p>
<p>“Your stories with the hammer has travelled far and wide.” Niylah says. “I’m Niylah.” She adds a few seconds later.</p>
<p>Anya is glaring at Niylah heavily and Raven notices it too. “Please tell me all that you’ve heard about me.”</p>
<p>I grin when Octavia rolls her eyes again.</p>
<p>Niylah laughs. “All good things, I assure you.” She winks at Raven.</p>
<p>I steal a glance at Anya and she’s glaring daggers at me. As if she’s blaming me for Niylah flirting with Raven.</p>
<p>I shrug at Anya and start eating.</p>
<p>“Where were you?” Octavia asks me ignoring Raven and Niylah’s conversation.</p>
<p>“Couldn’t sleep. So I went for a walk.” At Octavia’s pointed look, I add “Sort off.”</p>
<p>“So what is this your plan to make Lexa jealous?”</p>
<p>My mouth falls open at that. “What?”</p>
<p>Octavia laughs. “You weren’t doing it on purpose.”</p>
<p>I mutely shake my head and look at Lexa. That explained the glint in her eyes when I entered the hall.</p>
<p>I didn’t know if it made me happy or not.</p>
<p>It did. It definitely did. I internally give myself a huge high-five.</p>
<p>“Yeah yeah enough with the mental celebration. Everyone can hear you.” Octavia says with a smirk. “At least pretend that you aren’t so happy about this.”</p>
<p>I shake my head at Octavia and continue eating. I wasn’t being so obvious. Or was I?</p>
<p>“I have a brother.” I announce nonchalantly.</p>
<p>There’s a cough followed by a spray followed by a scream.</p>
<p>Raven had sprayed her entire mouth’s content into Octavia’s hair.</p>
<p>“You idiot.” Octavia screams. Lincoln’s face is frozen in a moment of absolute laughter. Anya sports a grimace.</p>
<p>Niylah and I are so busy laughing that we almost miss what comes next.</p>
<p>“I’m sor----” Raven’s apology is cut short by Octavia’s plate. On her face.</p>
<p>The plate takes a few seconds to fall from Raven’s face. Her mouth is gaping open and a piece of pancake is in her mouth which I’m sure isn’t hers.</p>
<p>She blinks out a few drops of maple syrup before she starts grinning.</p>
<p>She goes on to snatch her plate and all ready to throw it at Octavia.</p>
<p>I’m laughing so hard that there are streams of tears running down my cheeks. I’m sure I hear my rib crack.</p>
<p>But before anything else can happen, Lexa appears out of nowhere. She smoothly removes the plate ready for launch from Raven’s hand.</p>
<p>“Enough.” Her voice thunders over all the conversation and everyone obeys at once. “I will not have this escalate into a food fight.”</p>
<p>Octavia and Raven are still glaring daggers at one another while Anya and Lincoln look ashamed.</p>
<p>“I would like to talk to the three of you.” Lexa orders in a cold voice. When the three of us don’t make any move, she shouts “Now!” and walks out of the tent.</p>
<p>Octavia stands up grumbling and when she looks at me glares. “This was all because of you.”</p>
<p>Raven stands up and nods in agreement. “This was not the time to tell us that Abby had sex.”</p>
<p>Octavia snorts in amusement as I glare at her. What an image. I shake my hard to get that out of my head.</p>
<p>“She’s talking about Aden Dane. He’s the child of Pluto.” Anya replies with a look of amusement on her face. And is she looking at Raven with fondness?</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you tell me before?” I ask Anya and Lincoln as we leave the hall. I wave a hasty goodbye to Niylah on our way out.</p>
<p>“How about I tell you all about your brother once you return?” Anya replies scathingly. I glare at her and follow Raven and Octavia outside.</p>
<p>We make our way to the <em>principia </em>as Raven tries to wipe maple syrup off her face. Octavia swears loudly when she realises she has to take a bath.</p>
<p>“Niylah told you?” Octavia asks me once she abandons the futile task of cleaning her hair without water.</p>
<p>“Yeah. Apparently he’s out on patrol. For 2 weeks. But Niylah says it’s normal for a patrol to take time.” I try to sound as unworried as I can be.</p>
<p>“So this Niylah. You really had to piss Lexa off?” Raven asks.</p>
<p>“I didn’t plan on it.” I mumble but both Octavia and Raven don’t seem to believe me.</p>
<p>Raven looks at her ruined shirt. “I need to remind Bellamy to get my stuff.”</p>
<p>“Mine too.” I add.</p>
<p>“Yeah. I’ll tell him.” Octavia says with a sigh. “Let’s get through this.”</p>
<p>We all enter the Praetor’s room together.</p>
<p>------------</p>
<p>“Clarke, a moment please.” Lexa says after she dismisses us after the talk. More like a threat that she’ll strip us of all our privileges at camp.</p>
<p>Raven turns back to look at me and winks at me conspicuously before following Octavia out.</p>
<p>“You told her?” Lexa’s soft voice catches me off guard.</p>
<p>“Yes. Kind of. I did.” I reply rather stiffly.</p>
<p>Lexa has lost her praetor mask or maybe she never had one all along.</p>
<p>When she doesn’t say anything, I prompt her. “What did you want to say?”</p>
<p>“That I’m sorry for yesterday.” Lexa says.</p>
<p>I freeze. Lexa stops as if she expects me to say something but when I don’t say anything, she continues.</p>
<p>“I had a great time yesterday.” Lexa says earnestly.</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you say anything yesterday?”</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you?”</p>
<p>“Because you literally went back into your shell.” I say furiously.</p>
<p>Lexa’s brows furrow in confusion. I soften my voice and say “After we broke apart suddenly,” my cheeks redden and when hers’ redden too I know she understands. “I felt you go away from me.” I gesture with my hands.</p>
<p>“Like you weren’t sure anymore.” I finish with an exhale and I think I did well to hide the crack in my voice.</p>
<p>Lexa nods slowly as if she agrees with me. “I’m sorry. I should have talked to you.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, you should have.”</p>
<p>“I don’t regret yesterday.” Lexa says with a smile. “It’s one of the best dates I’ve ever been on.”</p>
<p>I step closer to her with a smile on my face. “It was the best for me.” I admit.</p>
<p>Lexa’s face goes through a series of emotions that I shouldn’t have been able to identify this early in our…whatever it was.</p>
<p>First surprise, joy followed by guilt and then sadness.</p>
<p>“No.” I shake my head. “I don’t expect you to feel the same way. You’ve had Costia. I’ve simply never met anyone like you before.” When did I become so breathless?</p>
<p>She looks at me for a few seconds with unadulterated emotion in her eyes before she says “I’ve never met anyone like you too.”</p>
<p>Her lips meet mine halfway. It was like someone had switched on all the fireworks in my stomach. Simultaneously.</p>
<p>And that fluttering feeling in my throat? Did my food have butterflies?</p>
<p>She pulls away first and stares at me with unbridled emotion. She smacks her lips slightly.</p>
<p>“You eat a lot of maple syrup with your pancakes.”</p>
<p>I laugh and lean in again.</p>
<p>Oh I could get used to this!</p>
<p>I pull away this time. I look at Lexa but she’s staring intently at my lips. I clear my throat and step back.</p>
<p>If we both keep this up, a couple of kisses could lead into a heavy make out session. And I don’t want the first time we make out to be walked in by Titus.</p>
<p>She laughs and I realise with a start that I actually told those words out loud. I blush in embarrassment as I bring my hand to rub at the back of my neck.</p>
<p>Lexa brings her hand and smoothly weaves into the hand that I’m moving to the back of my neck.</p>
<p>“I agree, Clarke.” My stomach drops to dangerously low levels whenever she pronounces my name. A common occurrence since day one but I’m still not used to it. Probably never will.</p>
<p>“But, we do need to discuss something.” Lexa still wears a small soft smile but sobers up enough for me to know that it was serious.</p>
<p>“No one else can know about this.” Lexa gestures between the two of us with her free hand. She says it very cautiously and with some hesitation as if I’d be against it.</p>
<p>“Okay.” I reply with a comforting smile.</p>
<p>“Okay?” Lexa repeats with a gobsmacked expression.</p>
<p>“Yeah. It makes sense, Lexa. We’re still supposed to be enemies. I mean our people are supposed to be. And it wouldn’t do any good if the leader of the Romans was seen fraternizing with-----”</p>
<p>Lexa stops me with a kiss and I lean into it. We break apart a few seconds later.</p>
<p>I sound very breathless when I say “What was that for?”</p>
<p>Lexa grins. “I felt like it.” She replies with a grin. And suddenly she frowns as if she just thought of something.</p>
<p>“You’ll tell Octavia and Raven right?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” I laugh. “If I don’t, I think they’d kick it out of you.”</p>
<p>Lexa smiles at me genuinely and says “Good.” And it doesn’t look like the praetor of the Roman camp minds getting kicked by her girlfriend’s best buddies over their relationship.</p>
<p>Girlfriend? Relationship? These words scare me and I can’t imagine how Lexa would react to them.</p>
<p>Instead I smile at her and bring her in for one last kiss before I leave her room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
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